Sand and Sun
by tsukibeam
Summary: 10. Growing up, Rikku has broken every rule established by Cid at Home. All except one: no boys. Right, as if. Or, Rikku gets her first kiss. A collection of related, non-chronological RikkuXGippal one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

Hello~

This is a little RikkuxGipple drabble I wrote during my free time at work. That's what I do-I teach in Japan and have a ton of free time so I write to keep myself entertained. Last time I wrote a collection of AshexBalthier one shots for FFXII and this time it appears I'll be doing it for this pair. I hope you enjoy.

1\. Of course Rikku would help save the world. Gippal reflects as he watches the airship disappear into Sin.

* * *

When Gippal promised to save the world with a cockiness that outshone Cid's, he did not expect his old fling to beat him to it.

He could hardly believe that he was seeing from the Al-Bhed camp just outside of Bevelle-Cid's airship flying towards Sin. _Towards_ , not away like most sane people do. And with seven figures standing on the haul, bold and unwavering. He was too distant to see any distinct features that would identify them, yet it didn't matter because he knew one by heart anyway.

Were her emerald eyes wide with fear, or determination? Probably both; if he wasn't feeling so out of his mind petrified for her, he would have laughed.

That's what Rikku was good for and she excelled at it where he was concerned. And she was damn adorable when she did. Her fierceness in the face of battle-no one got in the way of her claw when she was angry-was something to be admired, though he knew it sometimes belied the fear she felt. She feared loss, of her loved ones becoming mere memories, which was also admirable.

Of course she would defeat Sin, the reason for everyone's loss. She always had to get the last word in. Based on her track record-all the times she gave him hell for...anything-this was one big _vilg oui_.

Not to him, specifically, but to everyone who doubted her, scorned the Al-Bhed, and sacrificed the Summoners.

She'd probably give him hell right now for even worrying. He knew she could take care of herself, so he never doubted her, unless it had to do with lightening. Still, a giant sandworm was one thing- _Sin_ was another matter altogether. _The_ matter.

And yet... _of course_ she would do this. She had enough tenacity to probably drive forward the whole pilgrimage, all while keeping a smile on everyone's face. Especially if the rumors were true, that a boy from Zanarkand, a Zanarkand where joy was felt and there was no suffering, was with them. Together, they gave Yuna's pilgrimage had just enough hope and obstinacy for this to work.

Gippal thought back to when he first heard that she had become a guardian. Every Al-Bhed seemed to be talking about it-one of their own, Cid's daughter-joining a pilgrimage. He alone seemed to realize it was a convenient excuse for Rikku to spend time with her cousin and talk her out of her planned sacrifice.

Those facts aside, Gippal couldn't help from going into blank shock, crippled by fear for her, followed by a desire to pummel Cid for _letting_ her. She was only-he counted the months and days-sixteen, and she was on the quest of a lifetime. And succeeding by the looks of it.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder and Gippal looked over to see a woman handing him a pair of binoculars with a look he didn't even begin to interpret. He eagerly took them and looked through the lenses. The airship was drawing closer and closer to sin and-there, the smallest figure, yellow hair flying in all directions, blue ribbons streaming behind her, her eyes fixed on what lay ahead.

She looked just as he remembered; fierce, determined, but there was no spark of fear, only anticipation.

"Come on, Cid's Girl," he whispered, heart in his throat. "Come back to us."

The airship disappeared into the giant beast and he found he couldn't breathe. It wasn't until hours later, when the airship finally emerged, Sin exploded, and he once again spotted the small figure on the haul of the airship, that Gippal even remembered _how_.


	2. Story Time

Well. This was a word vomit that quickly became bigger than I intended. But gosh, was it fun to write. _Rikku_ is fun to write, as is Gippal responding to Rikku. I hope you enjoy it as well. And, thank you all for the response the first chapter received. It was truly wonderful to wake to. Happy reading :)

2\. During a lazy morning in bed, Gippal asks Rikku to tell him some stories about her journey with Yuna.

* * *

The morning sun shone through Rikku's Luca apartment windows, illuminating the white sheets of her bed so the room appeared even brighter. Somewhere, a seagull cried out over the hypnotic sounds of the ocean's waves crashing on the beach.

Normally, she loved this time time of day; waking up late in the morning, taking her time getting out of bed. It was luxury in its simplest form and it was even better when there was someone to share it. Unfortunately, that someone didn't seem to quite understand the relaxing aspect.

"You did what?!"

Rikku's mellifluous giggle floated from her bed, where she stretched out her long limbs like a cat; her body, still bare from the the previous night's activities, were tangled among the sheets. A playful grin pulled at her lips and she turned to watch Gippal's mouth gape with horrified shock.

"It's not that big a deal, Gippal, relax."

"Relax?" Gippal was sputtering, so unlike his usual confident self that it was almost adorable. "Rikku, you just said you stormed the palace in Bevelle, threw a _flash bomb_ at the Maesters-they were bastards, I know, but they were _powerful_ , _deadly_ bastards. As you know, because you _fought through_ their forces! Multiple times!"

Rikku's eyebrows had risen throughout the course of his outburst so they now looked level with her hair line. "Geez, Gippal, you're making it sound so dramatic." This time his eyebrows rose. "Okay, fine, it was. But it was either that or let Yuna marry Seymour." She cringed at the memory of his kiss. It was probably the most awkward thing she had witnessed. And poor Yunie. _That_ would have been an awful wedding night.

Rikku frowned, and then smacked Gippal, who shot her a look of indignation at the sudden assault. "That was for reminding me of Seymour so early in the morning."

In truth, it wasn't that early, but she had only been awake for a grand total of ten minutes before Gippal, who had been sweet and charming for once as he cuddled her against him, asked her to tell him the about most exciting part of Yuna's journey. Crashing Yuna's wedding hadn't been exciting in the jovial sense, but it had been exhilarating. But he asked, and she indulged, if only because all of her other friends had either lived it or heard the story a thousand times and Gippal was a fresh audience, with a head full of rumors that she _had_ to confirm or correct.

And, if she were honest, she liked the attention. Their relationship-their official, not-a-fling-this-time relationship-was still in its infancy and so waking up with Gippal on one of their days off and being the center of his attention was still novel to her. She could get used to it.

Gippal rolled onto his back and brought a hand over his face, as if to rub out the stress that she caused. Rikku rolled her eyes as she scooted closer and snuggled against his warm and equally bare body. She gently placed a small kiss on his lips and then his hand and pried the hand off his face, giggling when she was greeted with a single glaring eye.

"Don't be such a drama chocobo."

Gippal scowled. "Your lack of self-preservation is astounding," he said simply, and she briefly wondered if he was _angry_ at her. "Do I even _want_ to know how you got into the palace in the first place? I assume it involved more explosions and fighting?"

Rikku had the good grace to look away and at least _try_ to hide her smile, but it was no good. "Um. Well. Not exactly…"

Gippal pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eye. "I'm going to regret this but-please explain."

Rikku sat up, the blanket falling off her body-she noticed Gippal's eye peeking through his hand, very clearly enjoying the view, before noticing _her_ noticing and resumed his scowl. She smirked and began her story, not bothering to cover up.

"Well, we had just killed Bevelle's dragon thing and we realized we couldn't exactly land the airship in the city or on the palace-not if we wanted to rescue Yunie in time. Plus, the airship's exhaust system was about to blow so Pops decided a fly-by would be best so he could take the airship somewhere for repairs. So we just...sort of...rode the airship's anchor cables down _into_ the palace." She shot her hand in a downward motion, making a _whooshing_ sound, and almost laughed when he returned to gaping.

" _Relax_ ," she smiled as she flopped back down beside him. "We made it out alive. And I wasn't even doing flips like Tidus was." That was because she was too focused on _not falling off_ and _getting shot_. She was good, but she wasn't insane like Tidus apparently was. But Gippal didn't need to know that.

"How," Gippal started, shaking his head. "How can you be so cavalier about this stuff? You could have _died_."

"Well I didn't," Rikku said simply. "Besides, you're a great audience. All that stuff was in the past and down right epic in retrospect. Stupid, but epic."

Sure, sometimes Rikku had nightmares where her adventures didn't go right, but they were growing fewer and fewer as the years went by, for which she was grateful. She knew, sometimes, that wasn't the case. She heard Yuna and Paine both whimpering in their sleep on the Celsius, plagued by their own nightmares. She knew Tidus sometimes needed to touch things and people, anything from a clasp on the shoulder or a hug, just to prove he wouldn't fade away. She knew none of the world leaders, all Crimson Squad members, talked about their experiences, at least not in any therapeutic sort of way.

Rikku frowned. "What about you? You had the Crimson Squad."

Gippal blinked and a shadow she knew all too well-she had seen it enough from Paine-clouded his eye. "Rikku, that was just a massacre." He looked away. "You risked your life so many times."

"It sounds more horrible than all of my stupid adventures put together," Rikku whispered. Gippal opened his mouth to say something but she shook her head. "No, listen." She sat back up again and faced Gippal who, after seeing the serious turn she had taken sat up as well. "Near Gagazet there's a hidden cave with a forgotten Fayth that someone stole. Many people who found it have died, including one of Lulu's old Summoners. The cave is _creepy_. It's full of death, volatile memories, and it feels like there's no escape, no _hope_. We had to fight Lulu's Unsent Summoner and it tore her up to do that to a close friend, even if wasn't the Ginnem that she knew. So, I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like in the Den of Woes, where that kind of soul possessing _hate_ festered for a thousand years, and took your friends from you. Out of all the crazy stuff we put ourselves through for Spira, we were never once betrayed."

Gippal's eye widen with a hint of remembered terror, and he swallowed. "If you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working."

"Duh," Rikku said, reaching over to give his cheek, rough with morning stubble, a comforting caress, and gave him a slow, reassuring kiss. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his, silently asking if he was okay; he nodded in answer after a moment and she pulled away. "I haven't even gotten to my point." She paused, and Gippal nudged her, and she coughed dramatically.

"I can make jokes and oversimplify everything in a hilarious manner _because_ I made it out-we all did." Gippal opened his mouth but Rikku waved him off. "Auron doesn't count, he asked to be Sent, and Tidus is back. Anyway. I _chose_ to do those things. I knew the consequences, so did Tidus and everyone else. Trust me, seeing my friends and Home disappear was heartbreaking, and Bevelle prisons are not ideal. And yeah, having dozens of guns pointed at you is terrifying. But I made it out, and I'm forever grateful for getting to continue to have crazy adventures. I also had a great support team to help me. I came out of everything stronger and with unbreakable friendships."

Rikku smiled as she thought of her friends, and sent yet another-one of many-thanks to the Fayth for sending Tidus back. It wasn't just battles with which they helped. They knew what she had gone through because she had gone through it with them. Their very presence was a comfort on which she was grateful she could lean.

Actually, she was itching for a visit to Besaid-she made a mental note to bug Brother for a ride.

Rikku looked back at Gippal, who had gone still. Her smile faded and she took his hand and squeezed it. "I chose to do everything, and you did too, but not for your support system to turn on you. That was done to you. And I don't just mean your friends, I mean the church too. They betrayed you guys. You were forced to become a victim and it broke you and your friends. Paine still can't talk much about the Crimson Squad, and she also has a hard time laughing at our crazy stories. _You_ may be all smiles and arrogance on the outside, but I see you Gippal."

Gippal's face was tight, his eye glassy, and he said nothing for a few minutes. She never broke eye contact with him, and patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts. Finally, he cleared his throat. "I don't think I'll ever be able to laugh about the Den of Woe."

Rikku shivered. "That's fine. No one expects you to because...some things...you just can't. For me that's Home. But, Gippal, if you ever want to _talk_ about it, I'm here. We all are."

Gippal nodded and she smiled. "Anyway, my whole entire point in bringing up the Crimson Squad is that I've seen the spheres. Surely there were other moments where you did have fun together, right? The Den of Woe wasn't...don't let it continue to win and steal the fun times away. You guys laughed and became friends. It's okay to talk about those times. Like the time Tidus and Wakka almost killed me when I kidnapped Yuna! Or when Tidus thought it would be a great idea for us to dodge two hundred lightning bolts in the Thunder Plains."

Rikku paused and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You know, now that I think about it, _most_ of that stuff was Tidus's idea." She snuck a glance back at Gippal who was now pale. She nudged him. "Seriously, _relax_ , it was in the past. Do I need to make my speech again?"

Gippal answered by grabbing her hands and pulling her on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her slim body, and stared at her. She looked at him, curious at his response, though pleased to be where she was and made no effort to move. Instead she rested her arms on his chest and her chin on her arms and waited.

"That's not the issue now," he explained, running fingers through her hair, eyes darting from that, to her eyes, lips, hands, everywhere he could, as if memorizing her. "The issue is that _I_ wasn't there to help and that you had to do those things in the first place. I almost feel like having a talk with your old man and Tidus for being so careless with you."

Rikku gave a small smile. "I can take care of myself."

"Trust me, _I know_ ," Gippals' voice held a wealth of experience in that particular field, and this time he cracked a smile. She felt a small rush of triumph. "But that's beside the point. I finally got you back after all these years and here you are telling me every near death experience you had. Let me worry about you. You are my girl, after all."

Rikku sniffed as she considered this request but smiled anyway, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. _Men_. "Fine, as long as you remember I'm fine. And try to laugh at it all."

Gippal nodded with a smile and then was quiet for a moment before, "Tidus seriously tried to kill you?"

Rikku shrugged as if to say, ' _what can you do_ '. "Well to be fair, he didn't know it was me until _after_ my machina exploded and he found me washed up on Moonflow's beach," Rikku wrinkled her nose at the memory. "But hey, it's basically how I became Yuna's guardian."

She felt Gippal tense under her and yelped when he none-so-gently pushed her off him, rose the from the bed, and left the room without a word. " _Fryd dra ramm_ , Gippal!"

"I need a drink," was his distant reply from the kitchen.

Rikku scowled and glanced at the clock. "It's only nine in the morning!" There was no response, only the slamming of several cabinet doors. "Wait, at least make me some coffee!"

Again, no response, only the sound of running water as Gippal presumably filled the coffee pot. Rikku smiled again and settled back into the bed, pulling the covers over her as she decided what story to tell next.

Maybe the time they accidentally camped out on top of Sin at Macalania. Or when they agreed to capture fiends for that weird breeder.

Or maybe something light-hearted, like when they gathered butterflies in Macalania Woods. She snickered; yes, she would start with butterflies. Gippal deserved butterflies after everything.


	3. Desert Stalking

Hello! Thanks for reading the last chapter! Your response, whether it's a review or simply a view, means a lot to me.

So, real talk. I literally didn't know FFX had an audio thing or novella until the lovely Danko Kaji mentioned it and wondered how these one-shots fit into them, specially Will. The answer to that is...they don't. Sorry, not sorry, they don't exist to me. Unless it's a game that I spent _days_ and _months_ struggling to finish (completist gamer) then I'm not considering it canon. Plustheykindofseemlikedisasters -shrug-

Anyway. This particular story takes place sometime in X-2. Maybe after they offer to help Djose's fiend problem? I dunno, take your pick. Happy reading!

3\. Gippal visits Bikanel for work business. He doesn't expect to have to rescue Rikku when her transporter breaks down or to be the target of her anger.

* * *

It wasn't that he was purposefully stalking her or anything. It was more that he found himself in certain places and if the Celsius was nearby, well, he couldn't help but try and see her.

It didn't help that her perfume...no, not perfume, Rikku wasn't that kind of girl-her _soap,_ or whatever, was the kind to leave an intoxicating trail that ensnared his senses. What did they say about a scent? You're attracted to what smells good? Well she was his personal Ochu, complete with dancing when she was in the mood.

So yeah, Rikku smelled good, even when she was covered in sweat in the blazing Bikanel sun. He wasn't sure if that was _supposed_ to be attractive, but he had been raised on this unforgiving desert and knew that it was an accomplishment to smell good after roughing it in the sand and handling greasy machina all day.

Rikku pulled that off, so yeah, he found it attractive. He always had. Maddeningly so, because it continued to haunt him even after all of her departures.

And hell, why did she have to wander back into his life wearing that bikini?

Whatever happened to functional and practical Al-Bhed clothing? Things like pockets and zippers and actual coverage?

He had only come to this stupid island to touch base with Nhadala. In less than five minutes, he quickly became distracted by...everything about her. Her scent reached him even where he stood with Nhadala.

Nhadala coughed, which caused him to cough and finally look away. "That's got to violate some safety requirement."

Nhadala rolled her eyes. "Or you could just not look."

Fair, Gippal thought as he calculated the distance to the nearest source of cold water. He told Nhadala where he was going and to contact him on his communicator if there were any problems. He didn't expect, two hours later, for there to actually _be_ a problem, and for it to be more of a rescue mission.

"What do you mean, the Gullwings got themselves stranded. Is that even possible for them," he said into his communicator, thinking of their airship and all of their other antics. He had sat up from where he lay on the oasis's small beach, his clothing long since dried by the sun.

"Something came up, apparently, and they left early. Their transporter broke down and you're the closest available person to help."

Gippal groaned; his whole purpose for coming here had been to _avoid_ the Gullwings, try and get Rikku out of his head.

Ah, _vilg ed_ , it wasn't it wasn't her fault her transporter broke down and he did enjoy their banter; he got the coordinates to her location.

When he arrived ten minutes later, Rikku was under the transporter cursing up a storm in Al-Bhed while Yuna tried not to laugh, and Paine was twirling a small flame around her finger, seemingly bored while a small smile threatened to betray her amusement.

"Hey there, ladies," Gippal said after getting off his transporter. He braced his hands on his hips and surveyed the scene.

Yuna was still smiling and gave him a little wave, but Paine's flame had disappeared and her barely contained amusement had been replaced by a visible tension and an unreadable look. He inwardly sighed and shook his head. He wasn't even going to bother with _that_.

Rikku still seemed oblivious about his arrival. Her long legs still poked out from the transporter as she made no move to get out, and the curses still flowed freely from her mouth, most of them incomprehensible. Something about Fayth forsaken machina and questionable ancestry. Gippal smirked and knelt beside the transporter. "How's it going, Cid's Girl?"

Two things crashed-one in the sand, and the other into the machina, which barely moved from the impact of Rikku's head. Gippal winced-heads and machina did not mix.

"What the hell, _Gippal_?" Rikku shrieked as she poked her head out, hand on where she hit it, and pinned him with a frosty glare that would make the snow dwelling Ronso proud. "You know better than to sneak up on people holding heavy blunt objects, while under a several ton piece of machinery." She winced in pain and rubbed the sore spot.

"Yeah," Gippal nodded. Oh, how he missed her spit fire fury. "I also know this piece of machinery has no parents and couldn't possibly be a bastard."

Rikku gave him a glare that was honey sweet, but full of venom. "That's right. You're the bastard for sneaking up on me!"

"Wrong again, on both accounts," Gippal winked. "There was no sneaking, only walking. Right past your friends who didn't say anything. It's your own fault you weren't paying attention."

Rikku's glare did not ease up, but damn if she didn't look adorable. Her skin was darkened from a deep tan, her face lightly freckled, and her head was a bird's nest of sand, beads, and braids. And there was that soap again. How did she do it?

"Budge over," he said instead. "Let me help you."

"Oh no," Rikku said as she picked up the fallen wrench and brandished it at him like a weapon. "I've got it. You stay right there."

She disappeared under the transporter again and he shared a look with Yuna and Paine, both of whom shrugged, clueless.

"You know, Cid's Girl," he began as he sat crossed legged in the sand next to her. "I can't help but notice that you seem _a little_ on edge right now."

Whatever she was doing stopped and she peeked her head out again. "Of course I'm _on edge_. I'm stranded in the desert, in desperate need of a bath and water, with a transporter that _refuses_ to start, talking to the biggest flirt in Spira-who just happens to be my ex-mere _minutes_ from where he _dumped_ me. Forgive me if those things put together don't leave me in a pleasant mood."

Something unpleasant churned in Gippal's stomach as he processed her words.

Somewhere behind him, he heard Yuna and Paine whisper something to each other then, Paine's voice, louder and directed at Rikku. "We'll just leave you two to it. See you later, Rikku."

He whipped his head around in time to find Yuna and Paine jump onto _his_ transporter, send him a salute, and shoot off into the desert with a spray of sand.

Rikku's mouth gaped as she watched her two partners in crime fade away and scrambled to her feet, yelling obscenities in their wake. When they could no longer see them, Rikku flopped down in the sand and crossed her arms. "They are so dead when I get back."

Gippal took the opportunity to ease himself under the transporter. He assessed the engine and Rikku's work, and then reached over to gently pry the wrench from Rikku's hand. She glared at him but eventually relinquished her grip on the tool.

"Biggest flirt in Spira, huh," he said, as if commenting on the weather, because the _other_ things she mentioned were worse. "Glad to know you're noticing me. Gotta say, it's pretty flattering."

He winced in pain as Rikku delivered a swift kick to his leg.

"I don't _want_ to notice" she said with a huff. "You're following us around Spira, you creep. It's kind of hard _not_ to notice when you show up and flirt with the first pretty girl you see. Like Yuna-which was totally uncool, by the way. She's my _cousin_. Just because she saved Spira doesn't mean you can charm your way into her shorts. Besides, she's practically taken."

Right, whatever _that_ meant, Gippal thought as he blinked and paused in his work. "I didn't think that'd bother you. It's just harmless fun. Besides, it's not like you're interested."

And right, _that_ was why they didn't just hook up; she was only ever carefully polite in their recent interactions, nothing more. It made flirting rather difficult. Which was fine, if that's how she wanted it, and so entered the other women. Not that he ever did anything with them, either, but it was a nice attempt to forget everything else. He shook his head. This situation was more than a little confusing.

"Harmless fun, but it still sucks to see." Rikku kicked him again.

Now it was Gippal's turn to peek his head out at the sound of her hurt voice. She wasn't looking at him and was instead staring off into the desert, her lips pursed in annoyance.

Guilt gnawed at Gippal for all of a second before indignation flared within him. "It's not _my_ fault you happen to always be where I am, either." Rikku opened her mouth but Gippal shook his head. "I'm not stalking you," he said flatly.

"Okay, but could you maybe be a little, oh, I don't know," Rikku pretended to muse about her word choice for a moment and then snapped her fingers, pointing accusingly at him. "Respectful?"

"Of what," Gippal blinked again. "It's not like we were a real couple. We both knew we were leaving. It was just fun _and_ it's not like you're interested in starting over."

Rikku froze and something like panic filled Gippal.

He was right though-right? They had both been young and restless and the world awaited them. It _had_ been fun and after, she was off being a legendary guardian and he an accidental world leader. It wasn't like she sought him out or anything.

"Yevon, Gippal," Rikku said when she apparently got over her shock. She jumped to her feet and Gippal felt a spark of apprehension. Swearing to a false god their whole race despised meant serious business. She glared down at him with eyes holding all the powers of a firaga spell. "Do you even _think_? Just fun? You- _we_ -ugh. You broke up with me at that stupid oasis! That wasn't just a _casual_ end to a fling. It was real emotion and hurt and you said things like 'we were never going to work out' and 'if I ever want a laugh, I'll come look for you'. Do you even remember? Do you _know_ what that feels like to a fifteen year old?"

"Ah, shit, Rikku," Gippal said as he scratched his head, the guilt crashing over him like Sin on a rampage. Yeah, he remembered. They were the words of a stupid sixteen year old trying to soften the blow for himself, regardless of his own feelings, or hers. Obviously it hadn't worked.

"Yeah," Rikku said. "And to think I told the girls you were all right. But then, that was before you flirt with Yunie and all those other girls." She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, breathing heavily. He opened his mouth and, like a psychic, said, "don't tell me I need to get over it."

Gippal swallowed as more guilt hit him. She was obviously angered about their past-rightly so-but...he narrowed his eyes and took a step toward her; something else obviously bothered her. Something was...off all of a sudden. "Okay, I know I was an ass and I'm sorry, really. But are you okay? You sure the sun isn't getting to you?"

Rikku's expression didn't exactly soften; she grimaced and held a hand to her head, licking her lips. "No...I'm just thirsty. But it doesn't make what I said any less true."

Ah, shit, he thought when something she said earlier clicked: _in desperate need of water_. She rocked a bit where she stood, eyes still closed. He closed the gap between them and steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Here, sit," he instructed as he gently guided her back onto the sand. "When was the last time you had some water?"

Rikku put her head between her knees and groaned. "I don't know. But we got called to the Celsius so I thought I'd be okay until we got back."

"You should know better. I saw how hard you were working," Gippal said as he reached into the supply pack hanging off the transporter and fished out a small canteen of water. "Drink up, Cid's Girl."

She took it with a heavy hand and threw a half hearted glare at him. "I have a name."

Gippal picked up the wrench again and got back to work on the transporter. Despite her dehydration, and general annoyance, Rikku had gotten pretty far in her repairs so it was just a matter of a few adjustments before he got it up and running again.

Rikku looked utterly pathetic; even her hair seemed deflated. She threw the now empty canteen on the sand beside her and dropped her head in her knees again. Sighing, he knelt and scooped her into his arms and deposited her onto the transporter. A moment later, he handed her another small canteen.

"You should probably cover up next time, too," he said, "and I don't mean because people will stare. All that sun exposure isn't good for you."

"Shut up, creep," Rikku moaned.

Gippal smirked. "There's the Rikku I know and love." He hopped on the transporter in front of her and wrapped her arms around his waist. He kept one hand over hers and he put the transporter in gear and guided it over the sand. "Hang in there, okay?"

He lifted his hand from hers and dug his communicator from his pocket. "Hey Nhadala." Her voice sounded over the crackling transmission. "On my way. And have medical ready. We have a little dehydration on our hands." Nhadala copied and Gippal stuffed the communicator back into his pocket.

"Gippal?" Rikku's voice was soft and pressed against his back. It couldn't have smelled pleasant for her but then, she had bigger problems, he thought with worry. "Don't say things you don't mean."

Gippal was a lot of things-stupid a lot of the time, didn't think others, like now. And yeah, he probably _was_ the biggest flirt in Spira. But he knew what Rikku-eagle-eyed Rikku, who was smarter than people gave her credit for-was talking about.

"I didn't say I didn't mean it."

Fayth on stake, he did mean it. He knew it when he left for the Crimson Squad and couldn't stop thinking about her. He knew it when he watched her disappear into Sin. He knew it when he saw her again, confident and smiling; a living sun. Unchanged and yet changed in all the best ways. She burned him in the best and worst way possible. And should the occasion arise-like more world-saving-he was fully prepared to go into full jackass mode to protect her... _not_ that she would really need it, but still.

Rikku said nothing the entire ride back, and it might have worried him more than her dehydration. He might have deserved it. Yet her hand wrapped around his and he focused on that small touch, her intoxicating scent, and the warm breath that tingled his back.

Yeah, he was done for. If she ever stopped being mad and expressed interest, nothing would stand in his way of that.

They made it back to base and true to Nhadala's word, a team of medics and the Gullwings descended upon Rikku, carefully helping her from the transporter. Yuna and Paine, to their credit, looked desperately guilty as they followed the medics to their tent.

Rikku waved them off with assurances of forgiveness. Gippal, however, didn't fail to notice the glint of mischievousness that appeared in her eyes as she said this, and neither did the other two sphere hunters because they shared twin looks of trepidation.

They may be forgiven, but it seemed their abandonment would not be forgotten.

Maybe it was the mischievousness that did it, or maybe his newly acknowledged feelings, but either way Gippal found himself approaching the tent she was led to and pushed aside the opening flap.

Rikku had been placed on a small cot and a medic handed her a glass of water the size of her head. Yuna and Paine sat in small stools beside the cot. Rikku gave him a questioning look while she sipped at the water.

"Where do you get your soap?" The words tumbled out before he could think and he refused to acknowledge the others' rising brows.

Rikku's eyes narrowed. "Why, so you can fulfill some creepy stalker kink?"

The medic coughed on something, and Yuna and Paine grew very still but Gippal smirked. "Not a stalker but, sure, something like that."

Rikku stared at him, unblinking, as she resumed sipping her water. Gippal would have happily handed the Machine Faction over to Cid just to know what she was thinking. Finally, her lips quirked in a small smile around her straw. "It's peaches and apricot. I got it in Luca near the theater."

Yevon bless Luca, city of selfish fulfillment.

Gippal smiled. "Get better." He made to leave the tent but paused and let out a deep breath before turning back to her. "And I really am sorry. About everything."

Rikku smiled, grateful and a little wistful. "I know." Gippal returned the smile and lifted the tent flap again but Rikku's voice, mischievous once again, stopped him. "The soap comes with glitter."

Gippal snorted. "Of course it does."


	4. A Need For Privacy

Hello! Thanks for reading/reviewing last chapter! This chapter is the result of wanting to write one thing (Rikku and Gippal getting hot and heavy, only to get thwarted) and ending up with something completely different. It's not the fluff I set out to write, and more character driven than I intended, but well, I can't see anything wrong with that tbh. Hopefully you guys enjoy it was well, let me know what you think.

As for Spira's level of tech...I think of it as a kind of awkward transition phase, where people are still learning/researching everything, but new tech is constantly being made available. Like the 90s.

Two more notes: 1) This chapter takes places sometime after X-2, but before Chapter 2. 2) Funguar-the poisonous mushroom type fiend from Mushroom rock.

* * *

 _4\. After becoming fed up with the Celsius's lack of privacy, Rikku makes a major life decision._

 _or_

 _The Celsius is rather inconvenient for hooking up, and other concerns._

* * *

When your boyfriend was the leader of a faction of people, you did a lot of waiting. Rikku found this out the hard way. Without fail, every time she arrived by Celsius to whisk him off, or share a few days with him, she would be left waiting a few hours at least while he finished up work.

Rikku tried not to let the the waiting bother her too much, and she definitely wasn't bothered when it seemed that it was mostly women who approached him. After all the crap they had gone through to end up together-not quite the level of Yuna and Tidus, but still slow and hard earned-she knew the chances of Gippal straying were about as good as Sin returning.

Scratch that. Sin was man-made, just as Vegnagun had been. So maybe there was a _small_ , _tiny_ chance of Sin returning, but someone would have to be downright _insane_ to make that happen. At least in her lifetime, so her statement still stood.

Gippal was hers, was her point, even when he belonged to his organization. It would take an extraordinary circumstance-woman-for Gippal to leave her, and as far as Rikku was concerned, not that many extraordinary women existed. And, not to toot her own horn, but Rikku considered herself to be one of them. The others-Yuna and Lulu-were taken. There was Paine, but Rikku was confident no romantic feelings would blossom between the two. Her friend was too loyal for something like that.

So. Rikku was secure in her relationship. Gippal's delay in getting out of work allowed her a chance to look around Djose Temple and see the research and progress his team was making. It was something she missed out on with the Gull Wings, playing and experimenting with machina.

Maybe Gippal knew that because he allowed her curious eyes free reign to look over everything. He let her explore and figure things out for herself, often times showing gratitude if she made an adjustment or gave advice about a design.

She liked this part of their relationship, the working side of things. Sure, she loved their leisure time away from business or sphere hunting, but there was something about a good collaboration for the betterment of society that made her feel fulfilled in a way nothing else did.

Maybe that was why she saved the world so many times…

Not even sphere hunting filled that sense of purpose, a thought that was usually accompanied by a frown. Sure, she _enjoyed_ it, but it never felt...permanent, another thought that left her feeling strange...hollow. Two thoughts, then. Two thoughts that stayed with her until she busied her mind with something else.

Gippal was arrogant for a reason, mostly due to his looks, but for Rikku they, and the eye patch, were incidental. She had known Gippal before it, having always been drawn by his bright openness, and the fact that he let her be herself. That is, let her be her cheerful, ass kicking, machina fixing self, with no questions asked.

Sure, it was normal for an Al-Bhed to be like that, especially the machina stuff, but even within the Al-Bhed….sometimes, people seemed to notice her _outer_ appearance and youth first, taking no heed of her experience. She had been regulated to the sidelines more than once to let the _professionals_ handle whatever crisis was occurring. Nevermind that she was more professional than the rest.

Not Gippal. Sure, he had a tendency to want to protect her, but that was usually because his natural instincts didn't allow his girlfriend to get pummeled. He respected her track record. And her penchant for absorbing and retaining new information. He had grown up with it.

It helped that he could keep up with her banter and general _Rikku-ness_

And okay, fine, the eye patch _did_ add a nice touch, if she were honest. It was...well, whenever Gippal was in the middle of a conversation, his eye would always find its way to her, and he would flash that lazy smile of his before slowly sliding down her body and then meeting her eyes once more, this time with obvious desire in his.

It never failed to send shivers through her and made her insides turn to mush, while simultaneously wanting to burst from her skin.

The conversation usually cut short, and he would follow her onto the Celsius to go wherever, mostly to Bevelle, Luca, or Besaid for a visit to one of their friends. Once inside the airship, Rikku would usually throw herself at the Machine Faction leader.

Like now. Her and Gippal were in the lofted sleeping area, on her designated bed. Barkeep was...somewhere, and the other Gull Wings were also...somewhere. It didn't matter.

Rikku sighed into Gippal's lips, her body practically thrumming from being against him. The sensation never grew old. He moved from her lips, raining small kisses onto her neck, seeking the senstive spot that only he seemed to find. She shivered when he found it, gasping, and her hand traveled down from his shoulders to his arms, feeling the muscles underneath the fabric of his shirt, before moving down even further, past his torso, his hips, until her hand brushed against-

Gippal groaned, his body stiffening as he rose up and pinned her with a lust filled eye. "Careful, Cid's Girl," he whispered, his breath hot against her skin, "or I won't be able to wait until we land."

Eyes narrowing, Rikku pushed back the bite of annoyance for the airship's open sleeping plan as she sat up, and let the other issue take center stage. "Okay, new rule. _Never_ , _ever_ mention my father-or any of my family, in any capacity-while we're-"

"Don't say it, Rikku!" Brother's impossibly loud voice sounded from below, apparently panicked by whatever she was about to say.

But Rikku and Gippal sprang apart and froze, eyes widening, before Rikku bellowed, "Brother! _Get out_!"

"I will not," he shouted back. "I am allowed to get a drink, it's a free world and _my_ ship. I do what I want!"

"Oh my lying Yevon, _shut up_ , Brother," Rikku yelled, much to the amusement of Gippal, who seemed to be having difficulties keeping his laughter contained.

"You do not tell me to shut up," Brother shouted. "This is my airship, and I tell you to stop with the _suyhehk_. Be considerate to the rest of us with broken hearts, and for our loves that were stolen. It is not fair, after all that I had done for Yuna- _stolen_ , by a boy who is not real! I am real. _I_ am a _real_ man, do you hear?"

Rikku listened, her patience draining with each word falling out of her insufferable brother's mouth, until finally she exploded. "Okay, you seriously need to get over that." She almost sprained her eyes from the colossal eye roll that accompanied her words. "She was never interested in you! She's our cousin, you incestous Funguar!"

"Oh, fancy words from someone who pined for her teenage love for five years," Brother retorted. "You forget, Rikku, that I have seen your diary."

Maybe it was the discontent she had felt the past few weeks, or maybe it was the frustration at being interrupted, and Brother's general annoyance...maybe it was all three. Whatever it was, Rikku suddenly felt her temper flaring and her vision turning red with fury. She lept from the bed.

"Where are my daggers," she seethed, searching under the bed for her bright red and _sharp_ daggers. Gippal's hand grasped her arm and pulled her up before she got a real look. His eye was with lit amusement.

"You can't murder your brother, Rikku." He explained this in the same manner one used when explaining the difference between a shoopuf and a fiend to a child.

Rikku gave Gippal a fierce glare and yanked her arm away. "I'm sure Spira will understand and be _grateful_."

"Be grateful for what," Brother shouted. Why was he always _shouting_? "Rikku, what disaster are you up to now?"

Gippal held Rikku back again, this time pulling her more securely into his arms, his hands clasping her shoulders and squeezing comfortingly. "He isn't Seymour, and murder is still bad, remember?"

Rikku grumbled incoherently and managed to free a hand to make a foul gesture towards the loft railing, where Brother sat below.

It was quiet for a moment and then, "Gippal, watch over Rikku," Brother said as his steps sounded and he finally left the bar area.

Rikku fumed silently but the second the metal door closed, she relaxed into Gippal's arms. "Sorry you had to see that."

"Did you forget that I grew up with you?" Gippal laughed as he spun her around to face him. "I've seen worse sibling fights." His eye grew mischievous and she almost rolled her eyes from the question she knew was coming. "So. You have a diary?"

"Not anymore," Rikku snorted. "I burned it the second I found Brother with it. I should have known better." She flopped on her bed. "Ugh, I feel like I'm fifteen again, sneaking through the halls of Home for a kiss."

That was the problem with living on an airship. She longed for privacy, a room with a door _and_ lock. Gippal's place at Djose was fine, but at nineteen, she was beginning to feel a different sort of need to spread out: the need to spread into her own space.

Gippal's room at Djose was just that, a room. And the airship was communal. Everywhere she went, it was to a space she shared. It was why, though she loved working with Gippal given the chance, she never stayed long.

"I'm thinking of getting an apartment," she blurted, eyes widening at her own admission.

She felt Gippal tense as his eye narrowed. "What?"

"In Luca," Rikku continued. Gippal continued to look skeptical but she plowed on. "Gippal, this can't be satisfying to you either. I need my own place. _We_ need our own place to escape to."

"Seriously," Gippal muttered as he looked at the other two beds. "What about sphere hunting?"

"I think I might pull a Yuna and take a break, only more permanently." Already the plans were formulating in her head at a dizzying rate and she fought to keep her composure as the excitement took over. "Do something with machina again. I miss it."

"But Luca," Gippal said, sounding unsure. "Why not come to Djose with me?"

"Aw, Gippal, are you asking me to move in?" She flashed him a teasing smile, almost laughing at the look of surprise that overcame him as he processed his own words. "No, I need my own space for a bit. That's actually what I miss about Home."

"Yeah, but," Gippal looked away and frowned.

Rolling her eyes, Rikku nudged him in his side. "Hey, it's not horrible. It _is_ Luca, after all. And it's the perfect starting point for travelling with all the boats going to Besaid and the Highroad. We'll see each other all the time."

"No, that's not it," Gippal said, turning back to her. "I'm just wondering what you'd be doing."

"Well, that's where you _do_ come in," Rikku told him excitedly, sitting on the bed and swinging both legs onto it, facing him. "Luca has all this machina, with no one to service it. There's not even a market for it. And you have all of this new research just waiting to be used. I could, like, be your Luca branch, the practical side of Djose's research. Implement the stuff you bring in and oversee any problems."

The loft was silent for several minutes, with Gippal blinking more than was necessary, apparently unable to process anything she just said. Rikku bit her lip, unwilling to let the wave of uncertainty that was looming overhead drown her. She _knew_ it was a good idea. Daunting, sure, but she'd seen the state of disrepair of Luca's machina. They _needed_ her.

"Damn," Gippal finally said, scratching his head. "You really _have_ put a lot of thought into this. I can't believe I haven't." He chuckled and shook his head with-Rikku squinted. Was that _wonder_? _Pride_?

Smile stretching fully over Rikku's face, she nudged him once again. "Well, I have to do _something_ while I wait for you in Djose."

Gippal snorted but he scooted closer to her, eye suddenly darkening as he pinned her with that look again. Instantly, she felt her skin heat to bursting.

Yeah, she was pretty sure he never looked at anyone _else_ like that.

"I love it. I love it when you show your genius side," he said, reaching for her, while she automatically did the same, melting at his words.

Their lips brushed, his teasing hers, and she reached up and buried both hands in his hair, claiming a firmer press of his lips. He nipped at her bottom lip, hands brushing against her shoulders, caressing her soft skin, traveling down her arms and-

"Rikku, are you two decent," Paine's voice came from below. "I need to get something."

The two Al-Bhed froze once again. How did they keep missing the door open?

"Do you have to do it _now_?" Rikku grumbled as Gippal, breathing hard, turned away from the stairs to give himself a moment. Paine's footsteps ascended the stairs. "Can't you wait?"

"No," was Paine's succinct reply as she came into view. She eyed Rikku half sprawled on the bed and Gippa's back as he stared intently at the metal wall of the airship and shook her head. As she looked inside the chest where she kept her belongings, Rikku shot Gippal a pointed look.

"Teenagers at Home," she hissed.

Gippal nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "Yeah, an apartment in Luca sounds great."

Paine paused in her searching and let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank the Fayth."


	5. Brave New World

_Helllooo~_

Okay, *ahem* full disclosure confession: I set out writing this with inspiration from Calvin Harris's This is What You Came For, specifically the line "lightning strikes every time she moves and everyone's watching her but she's looking at you". Buuut that didn't work out, which was okay, because that felt too much like the usual reunion scenario and I wanted to try for something new. Weirdly enough, I got the true meaning of this chapter while at an enkai (drinking party) with some coworkers so I, er, came home (by shuttle, don't worry) and wrote a good portion of this (drunk). You know, lest I forgot...*ahem*

If you still want a listening companion for this, go for Yuna's Ballad from the FFX-2 soundtrack (obvs) and Back in the Moment from the Honey and Clover soundtrack.

Anyway, thanks as always for reading. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

5\. While escaping for some quiet time during a party, Rikku's emotions catch up with her. Fortunately, a certain someone is there to help.

* * *

There were parties, of course, because every world saving feat demanded a good party or three. Rikku attended most of them, dancing, laughing, and charming everyone who attended. She was the life of these parties since Yuna and her other guardians were still too much in the proper Yevon mindset to really enjoy themselves.

That, and Yuna's sorrow was palpable. Not that Rikku could really blame her; she tried to be there for her cousin by deflecting everyone's attention to her but she quickly found that this was exhausting work, even for her. Eventually Yuna went back to Besaid, but Spira still celebrated.

The Al-Bhed were no exception and on Bikenel Island, miles from their ruined Home and in between recovering efforts, they managed to put together a party that would be one to remember.

Rikku slipped away and slumped against a forgotten palm tree a good distance away and sighed. The party- _her_ party-was still in full swing, with music floating into the desert, and bonfires lighting up the otherwise black night.

One would think defeating Sin would prepare oneself physically for an Al-Bhed party, but apparently Rikku had either forgotten just how rambunctious they could be, or the Yevonite parties were really _that_ boring.

Rikku couldn't stop the smile that graced her lips as she watched her family and friends-all Al-Bhed-dance. They had told her it was a party to honor her, an Al-Bhed guardian and one of the vanquishers of Sin, but to Rikku, the party was more for them.

Rikku had been too preoccupied with finding a way to save Yuna that she hadn't quite realized the bigger _social_ outcome of an eternal calm. But now here it was.

Everyone, her people, the Al-Bhed, looked happy in a way that she had never seen them before; laughing carelessly without the tell tale worried glint in their eye, tense bodies, or guarded looks over their shoulders.

It was peace, she realized. Quiet, happy, joyful, peace. And how wonderful it felt. A dream realized.

She closed her eyes as, all of a sudden, sorrow washed over her as she thought all the people who wouldn't be able to see this; her mother, her aunt, her brother- _all_ the Al-Bhed who had died in Home's attack.

They had been so close to seeing this, only for it to be taken away. And _Tidus-_ -his sacrifice for a world that wasn't his own. And Auron-who did come from Spira, but had been betrayed by it. They had still fought for it.

 _They_ couldn't enjoy these celebrations, and the very thought made her...angry. And exhausted. If that was even a legitimate combination of feelings.

It had to be, Rikku thought, because it was how she was feeling.

With her eyes closed, and the night sky and many bonfires casting webs of dark shadows over the makeshift Al-Bhed camp, she didn't notice the shadow that fell over her.

But, of course, Gippal noticed her, and her retreat from the party. It was hard not to, since all the Al-Bhed seemed to have taken notice of her over the past few weeks. Every where he travelled in Spira he had heard stories of the Al-Bhed guardian from other traveling Al-Bhed.

Part of him couldn't believe she was actually there, in front of his eyes, and breathing. Whole. After all he had been through, and all she had _probably_ been through, he couldn't quite believe it. It just didn't seem real and yet...he reached out and brushed his fingers across her shoulder, still as soft and warm as they were before.

His touch caused her to jerk in surprise, open her eyes, and squint up at the figure who stood above her.

He forced himself to breathe as he met her eyes, even as his fingers begged for more that his mind remembered. He tried focusing on the immediate facts: she was here, she was _alive_ , she was whole. She was _Rikku_.

Rikku wrinkled her nose when his features finally came into focus-blonde hair, eye patch, lavender clothing, insufferable smirk-but couldn't help the _rush_ of relief that she felt when she saw him standing there.

"Well," he drawled, a smile playing at his lips, "if it isn't the legendary guardian herself: Cid's Girl."

She almost felt cheated; after spending months worried about him, angry at him, and just plain _missing_ him, his arrival at this party was all too easy. She preferred that he was here, rather than the alternative, but ugh, life was unfair.

"Well if it isn't my flaky ex-boyfriend," she muttered grumpily at him.

Gippal tried not to be offended as he sat down next to her. "Now, what could the life of the party be doing here, wilting away?"

The girl in question was silent for a few minutes before she sighed loudly and said, "would you believe me if I said I'm just _exhausted_ by everything?"

"From one guy who _tried_ to save the world to another who actually _did,_ " Gippal said lightly, "I'd say, yes, I could believe you."

He turned to her and really looked at her; her eyes were closed again, and up close she seemed...well, his previous quip of 'wilting' wasn't too far off. Even after being separate for a year, he knew when Rikku wasn't...Rikku. She simply wasn't as bright as she was before, and there was a heaviness in her features that caught him off guard.

Rikku slowly lifted her head and pinned Gippal with look that was level and still...off balance for her.

"Are you drunk," Gippal asked, because it was the only thing he could think of to explain it.

"I'm _sad_ ," Rikku corrected with a roll of her eyes. She crossed her arms over her knees and glared at them. "My best friend _vanished_ ," she waved her arm in a vague gesture that Gippal guessed meant 'vanished', "and the group's father...figure...whatever, turned out to be _dead_." She made the same gesture. "He was Sent, and now they aren't here and it _sucks_." She buried her face in her arms and mumbled something that sounded like, "sorry, it just...sucks."

"Most of the Crimson Squad is dead," Gippal deadpanned. Rikku jerked her head up and looked at him with horrified surprise. "I mean, not to invalidate your grief, but...I know how you feel. Don't be sorry."

Rikku nodded mutely and swallowed. She opened her mouth, trying to find something to say, but her words failed her. Several times. What do you even say to something like that?

Finally, she simply dipped her head onto Gippal's shoulder because he didn't look to want to offer more details and maybe… she didn't want to know. "What will you do now?"

"Well my dream of saving the world is dead," Gippal said lightly, frowning when Rikku muttered something about not saying _dead dreams_. "There's a lot of machina out in the world, though, just waiting to be salvaged and now that Yevon is gone, maybe we can actually bring it out in the world. Maybe I'll do something with that...I haven't really thought of it. You?"

 _That_ was something Rikku hadn't considered. Tidus and Yuna-well, mostly Tidus-talked about seeing the world again when Sin was defeated, and Rikku always thought she'd force her company on them...but she always imagined _Tidus_ as part of that group. She always imagined being the annoying tag along for a while before getting kicked off the trip by the two so they could have to a chance to _be alone_.

Rikku giggled, which tickled Gippal's shoulder. He nudged it, and her, in a silent request to tell him what she found funny.

She told him her imagined plans, "...and then Tidus was supposed to tell me to leave in that totally tactless way of his and ruin it all-and I was supposed to yell at him, and Yuna was supposed to be our peacekeeper because that just who she is and-" she stopped, realizing she was babbling worse that usual but damn, it was all true.

"And Auron could have been there for some reason. Hell-Lulu, Wakka, and Kimarhi, too. Pilgrimage Part Two," she continued, quiet this time. "And we could have visited Kayakku-I could have shown everyone around Home properly and...and…"

Rikku took a shuttering breath of air as she felt her throat close up and she tensed; Gippal looked down to see her face was scrunched up as she fought back tears.

"It's not fair," she whispered, "they fought for Spira. They should be here." Gippal felt his shoulder grow damp as she turned her face so that her eyes hid in his shoulder, and just like that, wept.

Gippal sat still, stunned-this definitely ranked low on any reunion scenarios he had. He sort of imagined more yelling and banter, at least. Maybe a few more smiles. If he were daring, he'd even go for a kiss in his fantasies. He never imagined crying because Rikku...was Rikku, always sunny and cheerful.

Things were bad if Rikku was crying.

And Gippal was...Gippal, awkward and unprepared for this but...damn, he couldn't just say or do nothing. What would other people do? He remembered how soon after his parents died, and he couldn't stop crying, an older woman hugged him until he stopped. So Gippal did that, wrapping his arms around her and holding her.

"Kayakku would tell you to think of the good things," he found himself saying. "Use your memories. Just because they're dead doesn't mean their existence is gone completely. Don't let the memories fade away."

Rikku grew still at his words and she remembered Kayakku saying something similar long ago. She sniffled, and she bit her lip as her tears still fell.

"What would Auron say," Gippal asked.

Rikku blinked as she considered it. "He might agree with Kayakku," her voice was slightly muffled by his shirt, "but then sternly remind me that life isn't fair. Meanie."

She moved her head so Gippal could see her eyes, so sad, again. "But then he would also probably say something about," her voice dropped in what he assumed was her impression of the older guardian, " _forge your own path_. _Your own story_. Something like that."

"And Tidus?"

This time Rikku giggled, even as more tears spilled out. "He'd ruin it by saying something stupid, like how _at least they're Sent and not fiends_ ," Gippal snorted at her high pitched 'Tidus' impression. "We'd roll our eyes and shake our heads at him, but somehow he'd bring it around again, and remind us that he'd always be there for us. We wouldn't be alone with him as a friend."

Gippal liked the sound of these people, and he was glad-and a smidgen jealous-that Rikku had had them in her life. He had briefly met Auron not too far from where they now sat and the advice Gippal had gotten from him carried him to this moment so…

"So why don't you follow their advice? Remember them, live your life to the fullest, and meet up with them when the time comes?"

Rikku was silent and then, as she wiped some tears away, "when did you get so wise?"

Again, Gippal tried not to be offended. "Don't act so surprised, I've always been this wise."

It was Rikku's turn to snort. "Yeah, okay, like that time you decided to rig a machina to make it a self-defense-whatever and ended up blowing up half of Home's hover crafts."

Gippal laughed at the reminder. "Hey, I still say that was a great idea. Maybe I'll keep working on it."

"Let me know where you do that so I can stay far away."

They were silent for a few minutes, just watching the party in the distance; they could hear laughter floating above the music, and Rikku's eyes followed the dancing silhouettes of all her friends and family. She heard her father's booming laugh, and the spark and sizzle of smaller fireworks.

She snuggled into Gippal's shoulder more and said, "how can we do this?" Gippal looked at her in confusion, but her eyes were on the ground. "How can we go through all of this, all of this _crap_ , and still pick up where we left off?"

Gippal sighed; he had a feeling he knew why, but her current emotional state, well...his mother had raised him better than that.

Not wanting to take advantage of anything, he stretched his arms out over his head nonchalantly and said, "because we belong together, obviously." He delivered it in his usual arrogant manner, as if it were the punch line to a great joke.

He must have succeeded, because she punched him in the arm. "Then why did you dump me?"

"Because the world needed saving," he said, "you would never have gone if you were still anchored to me."

They smiled at each other, and Rikku's mouth curved up into a smirk that could rival his own. "Right. Where would Spira be without me?"

She pulled away from him, wiped more tears away, and reached behind her to produced a bottle of wine, cork already popped. "I think this calls for a drink."

"Woah, there," Gippal said, hand reaching out to grab it, "you're only sixteen _and_ you've probably had a lot to drink already, _and_ -"

"I had one glass of champagne! I'm barely buzzed," Rikku interrupted with a look that was half glare, half threat, "I just helped saved the world, let me have some stupid wine."

"Fair," Gippal relented, releasing his hold on the wine. Rikku tipped the bottle back and took a small sip before handing the bottle to him. His sip was considerably less conservative.

Rikku watched him, still not quite believing that he was right in front of her-nevermind that she had just cried all over his shoulder. And...she blanched, as she remembered what he had said earlier…

"Gippal," she tentatively said, "what...what happened to the Crimson Squad?"

Gippal's whole body tensed and he slowly lowered the bottle as a shadow crossed his eyes and he shook his head. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Normally, Rikku would have pushed the subject, but maybe she spent too much time around Auron and his shadows, because she found herself simply nodding and accepting his non-answer. Still, "I'm sorry."

It wasn't much, not at all what he had given her a few minutes ago, but it was the least she could offer. "I'm here, you know. If you need to talk."

Gippal, eyes still downcast, nodded, and the two were silent again. Rikku absentmindedly took the bottle of wine and another small sip from it. The liquid warmed her but she nestled down beside Gippal again, placing her head on his shoulder.

"I think I'll visit Yunie, and then travel the world," she said quietly.

"You haven't gotten tired of it?"

Rikku smiled and shook her head. "I want to see what it's like when people are happy." She paused. "Maybe I'll get over my fear of lightning."

Gippal snorted. "That'll be the day."

Rikku punched him again. "You're doubting me?"

"Not anymore," was his soft reply. He was silent for a minute. "You feeling better?"

"Yes," Rikku said, but then, "no." She thought for a minute. Her chest constricted when she thought of everyone, but knew that they-she and Gippal-were right. She couldn't let herself drown in her sorrow. Spira had done enough of that in the the past thousand years; _she_ didn't need to start. But...oh, it was going to be hard. How did Yuna even get out of bed and _smile?_ "I'm not feeling any worse, at least."

"Well, I guess that's something," Gippal chuckled. She liked how it rumbled through his chest. "Hey, Rikku? I'm glad you're okay."

Something in the hesitant way he said it, like he couldn't quite believe that they were _both_ okay, made Rikku think there was something he wasn't saying. And the way he looked at her, with wonder and relief in his eyes...he reached an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him in a one armed hug.

Rikku could only lean into the hug, glad for his company and warmth as those same emotions swept over her and more tears fell from her eyes. "I'm glad _you're_ okay."


	6. A Colorful Gray

Hello~

This chapter...ugh, this chapter was the most difficult to write so far. My notebook has several pages completely crossed out. It's _not at all_ what I set out to write (more on that in a sec) but...I'm happy with the result, especially since I tried my hand at writing Paine, which is good for Reasons.

Anyway, Danko Kaji mentioned how they'd love to see G/R interact together with their friends and, uh, that might not happen. You see, I follow Susan Dennard's method of writing which is finding the Magical Cookie of a scene (Google it, it's good stuff).

So, I sat down and thought of all the things I wanted to see happen between these two lovebirds, to explore their relationship. Almost none of them involve the others whoops. Anyway, because of this, I basically have a solid plan on what I want to write and I can usually knock a chapter out in a day or two, with only minor edits. But damn, these two have been giving me some trouble lately.

BUT ANYWAY. Onto the chapter. I hope you like it~

* * *

6\. On the eve of Operation Mi'ihen, Gippal and Paine have a heart to heart about regret.

* * *

Gippal wasn't a sentimental man. Sure, he enjoyed a bit of nostalgia like all Al-Bhed, but he never thought of himself as the type of guy who _reflected_ when faced with his thoughts and memories. And yet, here he was-traveling the world and seeing all the places he vowed he would one day see, and somehow his thoughts managed to catch up with him.

Maybe it was this place, the eve of a battle where so much was at stake. His immediate thought was-what could go wrong? This thought immediately led to a series of unfortunate events that all led to his demise which answered his previous question. Apparently, _everything_ could go wrong and knowing his luck it would-every single worst case scenario come to pass, somehow.

He blamed Nooj for his train of thought. That man was far too good at projecting doom and gloom. It couldn't be healthy, but then maybe that was the point.

They said (Gippal wanted to meet the proverbial _they_ one day, if only to punch them for their constant, unwanted presence in his life) that when you're _about_ to die, your life flashed through your eyes. Gippal didn't know if he was about to die for sure, and he hadn't encountered that many near death experiences to be sure, but he didn't think the flash was supposed to occur hours _before_ the fact.

Gippal reached out and played with a small gray pebble for a second, before pushing it over the edge of the gray cliff and watched it fall into the gray water. When he looked up at the gray sky, he scowled. Why was everything in this Yevon forsaken place _gray_?

His scowl deepened. Clearly Baralai had rubbed off on him if he was resorting to using the name of a god he didn't worship in vain.

Blasphemy and operation activity aside, Mushroom Rock really did feel abandoned, like nothing good could come from it. It did nothing to inspire good morale. Instead, he was hit by a slew of emotions so fast and often that he was starting to sympathize with the rocks along the shoreline below him.

His friends back Home often teased him that he only had two emotions: arrogance and confidence, neither of which were _actually_ emotions. Only one person saw past that and she...well, who knew blonde hair could be so distracting…

He found himself thinking of that blonde hair most nights during his training. It had been strange for him to be the only blonde in a group of people, no matter how much he joked about the other's silver hair ("it matches your attitude: teenagers, going on sixty").

He told himself that he only felt out of place because he missed his home and his people. And because he was simply the only Al-Bhed in the Squad. Being in Bevelle, however brief, had been that much more jarring for him. No one was blonde (at least in Bevelle). He stuck out like an oasis in a desert. The swirls in his eyes hadn't helped. Actually...he didn't remember _seeing_ much of the austere city since he had kept his eyes pointed downward most of the time (who knew wanting to save the world would be met with so much scorn).

But slowly, with the blonde hair came the braids and the feathers. _That_ was a style favored by _her_. No one in Bevelle was like her. That thought, whenever it came, would cause Gippal to frown and pause in whatever he was doing. She didn't belong in Bevelle. It was too cold, with a huge reservoir of resentment, fear and hate. She was too bright, and the church too restrained and blackened with its dominating power and prejudice. Not that he was biased.

The very thought of her stepping even one foot in that city filled Gippal with so much unease that he would have to force himself to breathe and, somehow, shift focus.

No, she would belong in Luca, with its vibrancy and life. Where people rebelled against the church (blonde hair and blitzball) and actually smiled. As thoughts of her exploring the city raced through his mind, Gippal would find himself relaxing in his hard bed roll and a restful sleep took him.

His teammates seemed vaguely annoyed that he appeared so well rested everyday, especially since they seemed incapable of it. Their short tempers only added fueled the fire of his jokes ("how do you think I stay this good looking").

He ended up eating his words the closer they got to their destination and the end of their training. Sleep deserted him when his dreams took a dark turn as anticipation for their mission mounted. He no longer saw a blindingly bright smile in his dreams, nor did he hear mellifluous laughter. Her smiles turned to frowns, and soon, her laughter turned to cries as she cursed him for leaving her.

Blonde hair...his safe haven, turned nightmare. A reminder of a decision he thought was behind him.

"Ah, shit," Gippal grumbled, pushing a whole pile of rocks off the cliff. The sounds of their splashing were drowned out by the roaring of the ocean. "This is regret, isn't it."

"If you're finally sleeping as well as the rest of us," a smooth voice said behind him, "then yes."

Gippal didn't turn to look at Paine but he didn't stop her when she gracefully eased herself onto the ledge beside him. It was their last night in training and if she wanted his company then he wasn't going to turn her down. Brooding alone wasn't getting him anywhere. "How can I help you, Dr. P? Or rather, how can _you_ help _me_?"

"What do you regret," Paine asked softly.

Gippal snorted. " _That_ ' _s_ a loaded question. I mean, where do I start-not changing my socks yesterday, the spicy chicken dip from last week, not betting on the Goers..."

Paine cut him a glare that was as sharp as her sword. "I can leave, if that's what you'd prefer."

There it was again-the regret, followed by a dose of chastisement. It was probably healthy for him, Gippal thought. Much better than Nooj's melancholy. He sighed. "There's a girl…"

This time Paine snorted. "Of course."

"You know, I was here first, maybe you _can_ leave," Gippal quickly tossed back.

"My apologies," Paine dipped her head but Gippal spied a small amount of amusement in her red eyes. It was unnerving-not their color, but that she didn't hide it, and that it was directed at him. She certainly had came a long way since the beginning of their journey. "Go on."

Gippal frowned, and blonde hair once again popped into his mind, but the words to voice it caught in his throat. Something about breathing life to her-or, his memory of her-here, of all places, seemed wrong. Like...a jinx lying in wait for him tomorrow.

And anyway, nothing about her belonged here in any form. This place was too dull-where Bevelle burned bright with hate, this place didn't burn or shine...it was rubbed so grim in color that it seemed to absorb any speck of light.

Gippal buried his head in his hands, his fingers tangling in his hair. "Fuck, how does Nooj do this? I feel like I'm descending into darkness-even my _vocabulary_ is taking a turn for the somber."

"I believe that's called 'growing up'," Paine said dryly. Gippal peaked through his hands to glare at her. She sighed. "As for Nooj...he feels he has nothing for which to live. I doubt he feels regret anymore."

"I thought a clean break would be okay," Gippal muttered, voicing his earlier thoughts.

"Not if there is unfinished business," Paine countered. Gippal felt her careful eyes on him and his body prickled from being studied. "Clearly you still care for her."

Gippal frowned. "Yeah…"

Hell, he probably loved her, _not_ that he would admit that to anyone right now. Maybe when he got through this...if he ever saw her again...if she ever showed an interest in him again. He winced as he remembered her parting words-most of them swear words in both the common language and Al-Bhed. Yeah, _if_ she ever showed interest. Until then…

"I have to live with this, don't I," Gippal said as he released his hair and smoothed it back into his signature spikes.

"You are a sentient being capable of complex emotions, so yes," Paine replied.

Gippal laughed and reached a foot out, nudging her thigh. "You're on roll today."

Paine offered him a small smile. "I have you to thank for that. And them, I suppose." Her smile disappeared and she cast a quick look over her shoulder. No other emotion graced her face as she watched their silent camp, and the figures of their teammates.

"What do you regret," Gippal carefully ventured.

"Who says I have regrets?"

"Everyone does, apparently," Gippal said, gesturing to himself.

Paine regarded him. Gippal offered a little smirk and she shook her head. "You're not high and mighty just because you admitted a wrong choice in the past."

"Sure, I am," Gippal said matter of factly. He nudged her again. "Tell me a regret, and I'll tell you her name."

Paine frowned and she turned away. They were both silent for a minute, only the sounds of breaking waves below them. Paine's frowned lessened and she looked thoughtful.

"No regrets," she said, her eyes narrowing in decision. "Only a past filled with sorrow. Like all of Spira."

"Can I-"

" _No_."

Gippal whistled and held up his hands in mock surrender. "All right, note to self: do not ask Paine about her past."

Paine said nothing and looked out into the gray sea. Gippal watched her; she was always a little fascinating to him-intimidating, but fascinating. Teasing her was always the most satisfying because she gave as good as she got.

"All these weeks," Paine started, looking thoughtful again, "while you slept and we sat awake...you looked peaceful. Even a little happy. I don't think I've ever seen someone look like that in their sleep."

She looked down and shook her head, as if marveling at the concept of someone having peaceful dreams. Gippal found that no words came to mind-a first, maybe.

"What you had with that girl," Paine continued, "is rare. Whenever we finish this mission, if you still feel regret, you should fix things." She cut him an accusing look that made his brows shoot up. "For her. Maybe you don't deserve her, but if someone is capable of making another feel so much joy, even in their sleep, then they are not to be thrown aside with a _clean break_."

Gippal let Paine's words wash over him, first feeling defensive for his actions, and second, realizing that deep down, there was a part of him that cursed and swore she was right. With that realization came a shame that had him avoiding her stare.

"Damn. I'm an idiot."

"Yes." Paine's lips twitched. "If only I had gotten that on record."

"With my track record today, I'm sure there'll be other chances…"

They sat in silence, Gippal trying to make sense of everything, and Paine now playing with the rocks beside them. She picked one up and rolled it between her slender fingers.

"It's fascinating," she said, "so many colors melded together into nothing, but," she turned the rock toward him. "Sometimes one color stands out from the rest."

Gippal leaned in and looked; sure enough, there was a speck of red amongst the gray. He rolled his eyes. "Nice metaphor," he said dryly.

Only Paine's eyes betrayed her amusement. "Fascinating."

Gippal stood and braced his hands on his hips and glared down at Paine. She quirked an eyebrow, daring him to contradict her. Gippal found he couldn't keep his straight face and soon a smirk tugged at his lips and he shook his head. "Always a pleasure, Dr. P."

"You owe me a name."

Technically, Paine hadn't told him a regret, but Gippal still smiled-not a smirk, but a genuine smile that rivaled the sun's- _her_. "Rikku."


	7. Among Legends

Hello~

Lol so I lied, there is a chapter featuring the other characters and here it is. (Well. They originally weren't going to appear-at least not all of them-but it felt wrong _not_ to include them. So _technically_ , I didn't lie.)

In my FFXII fic (shameless plug) I did an interlude chapter where I wrote about Penelo/Larsa instead of Balthier/Ashe. I wanted to do something similar for this fic and thus this beast was born. It's not another pairing, rather a focus on a certain _other_ character and city. I think it might be my favorite chapter so far.

It takes place...sometime after FFX-2, during the Perfect Ending, whenever that is.

Enjoy and let me know what you think~

* * *

7\. There was something Rikku wanted to show him...In which Gippal and the rest Yuna's entourage take a mini pilgrimage to Zanarkand. Gippal marvels as the lost city. Legends are discussed and remembered.

* * *

There was something Rikku wanted to show him.

That was why they were there, taking a week long _vacation_ to climb the mountain-that they could have flown to-and fighting more fiends than he was comfortable with, and freezing their asses off. As a son of the desert, of all the things he had endured over the past week, the cold was the worst, and he thanked his lucky chocobos that Lulu could warm them with her fire magic.

But there was something Rikku wanted to show him, but they had to earn it. It was why he endured the cold, and a pack that dug into his hip in one spot...

It was why he agreed to go, even though he felt out of place with the rest of Yuna's pilgrimage entourage. When they planned this not so pleasant trip, and Rikku had approached him and pinned him with her emerald eyes, he had known immediately that she wanted something from him. Her eyes were beautiful, one of his favorite things to look at, but they were sometimes his greatest enemies- _her_ greatest weapon. Like when she pouted; he was powerless against them and suddenly found himself wanting to scale mountains just to make her happy.

And that was what happened. When she told him about the trip, how they-everyone from the pilgrimage-were going back to Zanarkand, he couldn't refuse. Paine was also invited but she declined, saying it was _their_ journey.

He kind of wished she had come, or that he had the sense to also stay behind. He felt like an intruder in the middle of this group but-Rikku again pinned him with those eyes...

She wanted to show him something and damn if he wasn't going to follow her, despite his own misgivings about what lingered in Zanarkand. Despite feeling like an outsider, and despite the fact that one day those eyes were going to get him in serious trouble.

But they were at the end of their journey. Everyone had fallen silent as they neared the summit of the mountain. A reverent anticipation had fallen on the group that hadn't been there previously.

Lulu and Wakka held on to each other, their hands held tight, as if they were anchoring the other. Yuna and Tidus were much the same, though the latter had a look of yearning practically pouring from him.

Rikku tugged on his arm again, and he allowed himself to be dragged forward. Kimahri brought up the rear of their party looking...well, Gippal still hadn't figured out the silent warrior, even after spending a week hiking up his mountain with him.

"Almost there," Rikku whispered as they walked around the narrow mountain path. The snow was gone, but the cold still bit at them. It was the complete opposite of Mushroom Rock in its deep, rich colors-like embers of a fire.

They had timed their arrival to greet the sunset. "Zanarkand is at its most beautiful at night," Rikku had explained. "And the sunset...well, you'll see."

Gippal wished she had prepared him a bit better because once they left the cave and crossed onto the mountain's summit-once his eyes adjusted to the brilliant raspberry sky, he knew he was about to see something amazing.

When they finally crested the small hill, Gippal stopped short, his breath stolen from him at the sight of the golden sun descending in the horizon, a fading reminder of the glory that was once the city of Zanarkand.

There it was: Zanarkand, the city that never slept. The city of blitzball, machina, and dreams. The buildings, though crumbling, were still impressive, unmatched. Gippal marveled at the vast ruins, wondering at what once there was, and what had been lost with it.

The loss, the sheer number of people who had lived there but were gone, and the progression that had been halted, made him feel...longing for what could have been.

"I know I've seen this before but…it's different, when you're up here," Rikku muttered as her eyes swept over the city. "After everything."

* * *

Night fell as they descended the mountain. Along the way, Rikku took it upon herself to point out the various "hot spots", just as she had the entire journey _up_ the mountain.

"That's where we fought Yunalesca's dragon-guard-thing," she said, pointing at a ledge, wider than the rest of the path.

Further along: "And this is where I begged Yuna not to go. And she dropped her video diary, which Tidus _listened to_ ," she ran up and poked said blonde hard in the side, causing him to yelp.

"Hey, you would have done the same thing," Tidus defended as he rubbed the sore spot.

"Never," Rikku gasped, but she winked not-so-subtly at Gippal.

Yuna merely giggled but offered her own poke. "That's for throwing it off the side of the airship," she explained to her betrayed looking lover. "Who knows who's listening to it now." For added effect, she shivered at the thought.

To his credit, Tidus looked sheepish and scratched the back of his head. "Uh. Sorry."

Yuna paused and tapped her chin thoughtfully, peering again at the ruined city. "It's okay. I think...it might be nice if, one day long after I'm gone, someone actually did find it and discovered _me_ , not my pedestal."

"It's a pretty nice pedestal," Gippal said. "I mean, _savior of the world_? Kind of catchy. Milk it while you can."

"Excuse me," Wakka cut in, "I think we _all_ share that title."

" _Please_ ," Rikku thrust a wagging finger at him, her eyes teasing. "We all know you held Lulu's dolls while she worked her literal magic."

Wakka sputtered indignities, Lulu and Yuna giggled, and Rikku and Tidus shared a high five. Even Kimahri let out a rare smile. Gippal smirked as he watched the scene unfold.

* * *

Thankfully, the ruins were empty of human life, Cid having taken his business ventures elsewhere.

It was quiet, with only the sorrowful song of the pyreflies to break the silence. It was empty, save for the massive ruins that stood vigil over the mistakes of the past. But it was full of memories.

Gippal stood rooted at the base of the mountain as he stared at the clouds of pyreflies lazily drifting past, iridescent ribbons that ebbed and flowed like the sea, their caress gentle.

It was beautiful, more so than anything he had seen before, even the Moonflow and Macalania. Even the night sky of the Calm Lands, away from machina lights. Zanarkand _was_ the night sky, grounded.

Gippal was glad the tourists were gone. This place, these spirits, deserved to rest in peace.

If it weren't for Rikku's gentle guidance over the rubble and fallen bridges and buildings, Gippal might have stayed in that spot for...he wasn't sure how long. Maybe long enough for the wonder to wear off. Whenever that was.

They came to a spot just outside of the city harbor, where the Blitzball stadium stood, and where they were afforded a good look at the city. A crumbling building stood, barely, to their right with a large space devoid of rubble. The remains of an old campfire sat in the middle.

Tidus smiled down at it and Rikku leaned into Gippal and whispered none too quietly, "this is where Tidus bored us to actual tears with his life story."

"Hey!"

Rikku shook her head at Tidus, mock shame in the movement. "Such vanity…"

"How's this for vanity," Tidus countered with a challenging tone. Rikku went rigid. "I also listened to _your_ audio diary. You had a lot of adjectives to describe yourself-lemme see if I can remember some-oh, _beautiful_ , _genius_ , _talented_."

"Are you sure she wasn't describing me," Gippal smirked before reaching out to grab Rikku-who had shrieked a primal sound and launched herself at Tidus. She fought against him and glared at Tidus who did not look at all sorry.

Indeed, even Gippal was storing that information away for a more useful time. The two shared a look; Gippal nodded once in thanks. Tidus returned it.

"What _is it_ about the men in my life," she muttered through her seething. "Besides, the history books will thank me."

Yuna delivered another hard poke in Tidus's side. "You have to stop doing that. That's three by my count." She glanced at Lulu in silent question, but the new mother also glared at Tidus, her red eyes practically aflame.

"He wouldn't dare," she said with cool authority. Tidus nodded with vigorous agreement.

* * *

By the time they set up camp, Gippal was at ease, content to watch the pyreflies drift along in their phantom current.

He tried to imagine what the city might have been like in its prime. An Al Bhed's paradise, no doubt. It made his dreams of an advanced Spira seem like child's play. And yet, he couldn't help but feel a spark of hope.

If the past could do it, so could the present Spira. And they could do it better. Not just technologically better but…to each other. So much suffering has already taken place, that price had been paid and learned. They could move forward with compassion and respect.

To see glory and happiness in a city like this again…he let his eye drift from crumpled building to crumpled building, his imagination building them up again until he saw a vibrant, bustling city in his mind.

A dream come true.

It was possible. Dreams could be made a reality. There was walking, annoying-though grateful-proof of that.

Rikku crept up to Gippal, circled her arms around his neck from behind, and whispered in his ear. "It's time."

Gippal nodded, pushed his dreams aside for the time being, and followed her through the rubble. They walked over a long destroyed bridge, and to the ancient blitzball stadium. He tripped over rock and pieces of building as he stared up at the overbearing piece of history. It wasn't the tallest structure in the city but somehow it still seemed to overshadow the rest.

"This is where..." he started, but Rikku merely nodded and grasped his hand tighter, the mirth of earlier gone from her eyes. He squeezed her hand back.

The others were already inside and Rikku led him up up up through the twisted metal and stands. The only light came from the thousands of pyreflies floating around. It gave the stadium a soft, intimate feel.

Gippal tripped a few more times, cursing, as he glanced at where the blitz sphere would have been. Rikku said nothing as he paused and imaged the games that took place there.

Rikku glanced at where he looked and, as if reading his mind, said, "Tidus says the games here were more amazing than in Luca. More brutal, more dramatic, just...more. And the crowds were wild and free."

Her eyes did a broad sweep over the stadium, as if she could see everything Tidus had once described to her. They probably could, with the pyreflies memories, but Gippal almost choked when he realized that this was _Tidus's_ stadium. Maybe not the exact one, but close enough.

Legends. He was walking among legends.

He said as much, and Rikku snorted.

" _Don't_ tell Tidus _or_ Wakka," she instructed, like he actually needed the reminder. "It'll inflate their egos so bad we won't get them back down to Spira." She gave him a sly look. "But _I_ could stand to hear it a few more times. Daily."

"Ha, please," Gippal said, shaking his head. "I just mean that there will be stories about you guys one day. Me too, if I'm lucky, but Yuna's pilgrimage won't just be a story, it'll be a legend. But _I'm_ here. I know you and the others. I know my own story. I guess I'm luckier to have that because there's tangible reward." He reached out and took her calloused hand in his. "I'm lucky to be friends with the legends and know the real people. I'm better for it, even if I'll be forgotten."

Rikku stared at him, and he rolled his eye. " _Obviously_ , I know you guys are actually super lame and look like feral chocobos when you wake up. Tidus worries about his hair roots, Wakka picks his nose and Kimahri's snores could wake the dead. Lulu's makeup smudges under her eyes, Yuna's hair gets everywhere, and you-"

" _Stop right there,_ mister," Rikku held up a hand in his face with a glare that told him he'd lose certain privileges if he continued.

Gippal clamped his mouth shut, though failing to keep the grin from escaping. Rikku's annoyance faded, and she tilted her head as she stared at him. A stray pyrefly brushed against her cheek and her bright eyes flashed at the vague sensation it caused. She looked down at their still clasped hands and turned his over, running a finger across his palm.

"I don't think you'll be forgotten," she said. "You had an unhappy middle-no, not middle, _blip_ -but there's so much left for you to do, and so much you've already done. I'm better for having you too, and I'm grateful for knowing you."

Gippal's grin was almost roguish. "Are you calling me a legend?"

Rikku laughed, let go of his hand, and pushed against his chest. "Careful, buddy, this relationship isn't big enough for _both_ our egos."

* * *

Auron's sword was a legend itself-a heavy, clunky, overly large legend. Kimahri had hefted it up _and_ down the mountain, and now it sat propped up against a sphere pedestal that Tidus had pushed into place, with no shortage of grumblings ("why is this always _my_ job?").

Gippal eyed the room, at the empty, vast space and the fallen columns. It was utterly silent. "Whose idea was it to build a space temple in a blitzball stadium?"

Pain burst through his middle as Rikku delivered a swift elbow to his stomach and Tidus snorted. Lulu shot them both a death glare that quickly had them backing off.

"I think it was built by the first Yevonites," Yuna said, taking a seat on the hard stone floor, running a finger over the painted runes and symbols. "It was Yunalesca's chamber for all these years but also where Auron…"

She didn't have to finish the sentence. Gippal knew what had happened; Rikku had told him everything, along with the memory that flashed into view before their fight with Yunalesca. It had given him chills, how Auron had stoically faced his murderer.

Gippal had briefly met the older guardian, but had never seen him wield the sword in action, and he realized what a shame that might be as he joined the others in a circle around the massive weapon.

"How would he feel about Yunalesca's chamber being made into a memorial for him," Gippal asked.

"He would probably hate it and tell us all to move on," Tidus blurted, and wheezed when Rikku elbowed him too.

Again, Yuna was more diplomatic. "Gagazet is filled with memorials of fallen guardians. This is no different. He didn't seek glory, but his honor and loyalty...it seems wrong to let him fade away completely."

"He should be remembered," Lulu said. "Everything he did was for his friend's memories, so that none would experience it again. It's the least we could do as _his_ friends."

"Besides, he doesn't get a choice. Consequence of being a legend," Wakka added with a shrug. "The world will forever remember him. It's not a bad thing, though."

" _And_ this place is creepy," Rikku shivered. "It's a much better use of space to remember Auron. Forget the horrors of Yunalesca. She was…"

Rikku looked at the sword, and the symbols, and seemed to look for a polite way to express her thoughts on the first high summoner, if only because it was technically sacred ground. Gippal had his own thoughts-none of them polite either-and he looked at the others, feeling the mood shift as everyone thought of _her_. Finally, Tidus said what everyone seemed to be thinking.

"She was a psychotic, deluded bitch."

Instantly, the ice was broken and Gippal let out a huff of laughter in agreement.

"Auron hated being a legend," Tidus continued as he joined Yuna on the floor. "I think he'd rather be remembered as a man."

"We'll tell his story," Lulu said as she sat, followed by Wakka. "But this will stand after we're gone."

As if to insure that, Yuna took a breath and Gippal felt the air shift as the magic gathered in a gentle glow around her. A moment later, she released it onto the sword, and a shimmering golden honeycomb enveloped itself around the sword before fading away. Gippal could still feel the power of the protection spell as he too took a seat.

"Well then," he said, pulling Rikku into his lap. "Tell me about him."

Everyone smiled as they thought of the older guardian, deciding what to share. It was Kimahri who stepped forward first and said, "Auron held drink better than most seasoned Ronso warrior."

"Yeah," Wakka nodded in agreement, "the man couldn't cook to save his life, but he could make some amazing booze."

"He also couldn't sew," Rikku snorted. "His coat was filled with badly patched holes until yours truly fixed it up."

"But he had a great singing voice," Lulu said fondly. "Bass."

"I still can't believe we got him to sing that one time," Tidus shook his head, a smile playing at his lips.

"We paid for it later," Wakka reminded him with a grumble. "Extra early wake up time, and shorter rests that day."

Everyone chuckled and Yuna took a deep breath, her eyes bright with tears that were silently falling down her summer-golden cheeks. She looked at everyone and then back at the sword, gleaming and honed to a deadly edge.

"Let's start from the beginning."

* * *

Gippal yawned, the previous night's late hour catching up with him. He sat on the edge of a fallen building, looking out at the ruins of the city. His head was still filled with stories of Auron, Legendary Guardian and Secret Softy, if Rikku was to be believed.

The sun was starting its descent into the sky, and the pyreflies were lazily flowing everywhere. After swapping stories of Auron, they had gone into the stadium proper to test Gippal's theory on the pyreflies holding blitz memories and sure enough, there were some. It was...spectacular.

And now Gippal sat, thinking of Auron, this city, and thinking of his own dreams. Before they left the memorial chamber, he had looked down at the sword and silently thanked the fallen guardian for gently guiding Yuna and the others. For finding enough good in Spira to fulfill his promises. For giving Rikku a chance and protecting her. And for seeing something in Gippal and the other Al Bhed.

He envied Rikku's friends for being able to laugh easily about their travels. For being able to return, with respect, to the places that caused them pain. Maybe...maybe one day his Crimson Squad companions could make a similar trip and say their own remembrances.

When he had mentioned it to Rikku earlier that morning and asked if she would come, she'd nodded. "Just say when."

Time would tell.

Beside him, Rikku stretched as she too watched the city, and her friends in the distance. Gippal followed her stare and almost laughed when he spotted Yuna push Tidus off their own hunk of fallen building.

Rikku had a proud smile on her face. "Sometimes I can't believe we made it. That we're here."

"Not sad anymore?" Gippal asked. "Your best friend is back. Here forever to ruin everything."

"Thank the Fayth," Rikku sighed solemnly. "I don't know what I'd do without him driving me nuts."

Gippal snorted. "I don't know what the Fayth were thinking. You two are a force to be reckoned with. Spira will be regretting it before too long." Rikku smacked him.

Gippal smirked and leaned forward, so that his lips were very close to her ear, and he felt her shiver. "Thank you," he whispered.

He felt Rikku smile, the warm, soft skin of her cheek pulling back as she turned and circled her arms around his neck. Her emerald eyes searched his and she reached a hand up and cupped his cheek, tentative amazement flashing across her face, showing what she said aloud a moment ago.

Gippal reached up and clasped her hand. "Thank you for showing me this. For everything."

Rikku paused, lip trembling as she nodded. "All in a day's work."

Gippal snorted, but hooked her chin with his fingers. She instantly leaned closer and met his lips in the middle.


	8. Not Goodbye

Hello~

I...actually have nothing to say for once except whoops, this is way too long. So I'll just leave you to it!

Enjoy and let me know what you think~

* * *

8\. "It's farewell, but not goodbye." After defeating Vegnagun, Gippal says goodbye to the Gullwings. But, as he watches the Celsius leave Luca, he decides...screw that.

Or-Gippal gets the girl.

* * *

Gippal couldn't help but notice the Look Rikku gave him before she flounced onto the Celsius with the other Gullwings. He also couldn't help but notice how her eyes lingered on him for just a second while he, Nooj and Baralai saw them off.

He definitely noticed the way she bit her lip as her eyes went down down down his body and then back up, with a noticeably different heat and curiosity in them than before.

It set his body aflame, his thoughts buzzing as to what it could possibly mean. She had looked at him before, obviously-it was kind of hard _not_ to when they ran into each other so often. But it was different than before. Less, I-want-to-hurt-you and more...let's-get- _acquainted_.

It was...like before. Gippal ran a hand through his hair and cursed. Almost three years, and he still remembered how she looked at him that day in the desert before their first kiss…

But where that look-and kiss-was youthful and innocent, this look was practiced and mature. Hungry.

And he let her go anyway. Let the cargo lock rise into place, barring him from entering the massive red airship. Let himself follow the others to the stadium where they were due to make a speech...

...Where he had massive amounts of difficulty concentrating because, damn, that was the most enticing look anyone anywhere had ever give him and how was he _not_ supposed to take notice?

Eventually, he had to make it look like he was making some effort at this public speaking thing and say something. When he said those words, "farewell, but not goodbye," and watched the airship rise over the city and blast off into the sky, he felt a sense of loss.

And then, he narrowed his eyes as he recalled another time he felt something similar.

Wasn't this what he told himself? That if she ever showed interest, he'd be at her side faster than a Haste spell? That look was about as subtle as a Sin attack, and felt similar. An attack on his senses and mind. Gippal straightened and took a breath.

Farewell, but not goodbye.

Fuck that.

* * *

He made that mistake once and he wasn't about to let something as great as Rikku slip through his fingers again for someone else to pick up. She was a different caliber of woman, one that blessed the world with their presence every once in awhile. Spira had a few but Rikku...there was no contest for him.

He knew it back on Bikanel all those years ago, when she didn't shy away from his flirty confidence like other girls. Or when she met his eyes time and time again over a broken hunk of machina, grease smeared on her pretty face, and offered her own flirty smile, confidence brimming in her eyes.

He knew it when he watched her stare Sin head on, ready for the coming battle, and then again with Vegnagun-with all her enemies. He knew it whenever she gave him a piece of her mind and put him in his place. And he knew it when she speared him with a Look that had his blood boiling in the most maddening and amazing way.

So Gippal clapped the other two on the shoulder and left the stadium without another word to track down the only other person in Spira with an airship. Gippal knew he was in the city; Cid was too opportunistic _not_ to make an appearance.

* * *

Stealing Cid's ship and figuring out the controls wasn't difficult-he _was_ Al-Bhed after all. Getting the crew to cooperate was also a little too easy-even when Cid starting yelling obscenities from the dock. Gippal figured the crew must have been desperate to get a little time away from Cid for them to so readily agree to his announcement that he was _borrowing_ the ship.

What _was_ hard was the wait. It was a five hour flight to Besaid, and the Gullwings had a two hour head start on a superior ship. Gippal tried not to think about what he would do if Rikku wasn't there. But then, she had to be, right? She wouldn't just drop off Yuna and spirit away to her next adventure yet, would she?

No, she wouldn't. That wasn't her style. She cherished her time with her friends and family and would want to stay with them a bit longer.

But of course, logical thinking started to slip away the longer the trip progressed. By hour two he was pacing. Hour three had him snapping at everyone to go faster, nevermind the ship's delicate constitution. Hour four found him practically clawing at the walls until he was banished to the mezzanine deck in hour five. He opted for the outer haul, allowing the raging wind to soothe him. It didn't really, but he pretended it did for the other's sake.

It also gave him a little bit of time to think and plan. He quickly realized that he _had_ no plan. How exactly, does one get the girl without being a complete creep? _Hey, girl, I saw that look you gave me. Wanna do a more detailed inspection_? Gippal cringed-he needed serious commitment, not a one night stand. Rikku would probably laugh him right off the island if he said that.

Gippal's dread on the matter only increased when he felt the airship descend and lose speed and soon enough, the jagged mountains of Besaid came into view. Even in the distance he could see the massive Celsius parked in the bay. Gippal's heart skipped and he wasn't sure if he was relieved or not.

Rikku was still there but he was without a plan. But when he made his way back into the airship he thought, how hard could getting the girl be?

* * *

The crew of the Fahrenheit cheered him on as he stepped off the airship, not even bothering to pretend they didn't know what he was attempting. A second later, the airship rose back into the sky and flew off, leaving Gippal practically stranded on the beach.

The bay of Besaid was utterly deserted. Even the dock and the fishing net looms scattered along the beach seemed abandoned. The Celsius was similarly empty; he called up into the cargo hold and received no answer; he ventured further into the airship, in the bridge, and found it empty. Same with the cabin and bar areas.

All things considered, it was rather anti-climatic.

He went back outside and squinted at the sun soaked beach, bracing his hands on his hips as he considered what to do. But...there in the distance; faint strains of music...he spied a trail leading off the beach…

* * *

The village was definitely in party mode; that didn't really surprise him. It was normal; the buffet, the bonfires, the dancing and laughing...The attention Yuna attracted wasn't all that surprising either. No, it was that everyone seemed to be giving a great deal of attention to a blonde haired man with piercing blue eyes standing next to Yuna-and that Rikku was hanging off his back.

Gippal froze in place as he took in the sight of the blonde man who looked so familiar but not. His plan-but-not-a-plan was immediately forgotten in the face of whatever was happening before him.

The man...looked almost exactly like Shuyin and Rikku was hanging off of him like she hadn't just helped blast him back into the Farplane, but like they were best buddies. And Yuna looked happy about it and was even touching his arm affectionately...

A hand landed on his shoulder and grasped it tightly. Gippal heard a pointed cough and he turned and saw Paine looking perfectly calm and poised.

"Gippal," she said in her cool voice, "it's time you met Yuna's guardian, Tidus."

The relief was instant. He had heard stories about Tidus though it was vaguely annoying, however, that everyone failed to mention how much he looked like Shuyin. He knew he had nothing to fear from Shuyin _now_ but traumatic encounters and a world dominating scheme don't exactly fade from memory over night.

Somehow everyone else heard her, and the effect rippled through them until they were all looking at him and Paine. It fell silent in the space around them and Gippal tried not to feel too intimidated by them. All of his thoughts and intentions flew out of the window under their scrutiny because wow a lot of people were staring at him and Rikku was right there and _don't freak out, Gippal_.

Rikku jumped off Tidus's back, and he immediately went back to Yuna's side. An orange haired man and a woman holding a baby-Lulu and Wakka, he recalled-appeared as well, and they all stared as Rikku crossed her arms and lifted a brow at Gippal.

"What are you doing here?"

There was nothing but curiosity-almost business like-in her tone and Gippal almost found himself second guessing what he saw earlier that day except he _knew_ what he said. He may only have one eye, but he wasn't blind.

"Not happy to see me?" He flashed her a smirk.

"Depends," Rikku said with a hint of a smile, and he took it as a good sign. She was _happy_ to see him. "Are you here to say someone _else_ has been possessed by a malevolent spirit?"

"Not today, no," Gippal replied. Rikku gave him another look, not the heated one from earlier, but still assessing. He matched it, taking in her beauty and the spark in her eye, and he let his smirk fade into a careful smile. "How about sweep you off your feet?"

"Who-" Tidus turned to Yuna, whose eyes had widened in surprise, though she looked absolutely thrilled.

"This is Gippal." Yuna said.

"They made quite the couple," Paine dryly supplied beside him.

Yuna said a few other-hopefully good-things about him but they were lost on Gippal as he stared at Rikku. His smile slipped further the longer she said nothing.

She had gone stock still, her eyes wide and her previously relaxed pose was wilted, like she couldn't quite believe what he said. Gippal couldn't quite either-a victory celebration had _seemed_ like a good place for this sort of thing, but in practice, in front of so many people and potential weapons, like fire, it was a terrible idea. It was mostly the people. He hadn't intended an audience, and it was humiliation waiting to happen.

If she didn't say something soon his heart was going to give out where he stood.

"Can, uh, we go for a walk?" Gippal jerked a thumb toward the path to the beach behind him and eyed everyone around them. "I think this is, like, three years overdue, and everyone…"

Rikku made a strangled sound as Wakka literally pulled up a seat and sat, crossing his arms. "Or you could stay. You both look so nervous, this is amaz- _ow_!" Gippal made a mental note to thank Lulu for smacking her husband into silence.

" _Seriously_ ," Rikku finally said. She looked and sounded incredulous, like...like she was being given the answer to a riddle that long since eluded her. "You've been waiting _three_ _years_ to get me back? I could have been jumping your bones _this whole time_?"

Gippal went into a coughing fit and Paine thumped him hard on the back. He recovered quickly and cleared his throat. "So, about that walk?"

"You're such a brainless flan." But she was starting to smile.

"Look here, you airheaded condor-just...walk with me."

Only Tidus laughed at their exchange but Rikku's smile faded and something within her turned heavy. She sauntered over to Gippal and took his hand. She turned to her other friends-and the audience at large-and waved them off. A second later she dragged him away from the festivities.

"I want to show you something," was all she said.

* * *

There was a heat burning through Rikku's back and she knew it wasn't the sun. She swore he was going to burn a hole into her back with his stare. It sent pin pricks up and down her spine to be watched so closely, but a part of her reveled in it. She wished the jungle path-the only one up to where she was taking him-was wider so they could walk side by side.

But would that really be better? The urge to reach out and grab his hand would be hard to resist. And it might lead to awkward mis-glances-where she looked up at him, only for him to look away, and so on.

Rikku desperately wanted to look at him. Even after all these years of knowing him, his handsome face always surprised her. It was unfair how good looking he was, but it was also a friendly face, one that understood her and was a safe haven for her.

And Fayth help him, if he screwed this up…

She hadn't taken him to the beach but instead up a winding mountain path behind the village and through the jungle. Rikku pushed aside a palm leaf and stepped through the part in the trees it hid. A moment later, with a rustle of leaves, Gippal followed. She stepped aside to allow him a better view and smiled softly when he froze. His burning gaze left her and took in the sight around her.

They stood, not on the mountain peak, but in a valley it that overlooked the island. The mountain curved down and down, the palms and jungle trees swaying in the soft breeze. They could see the entire village, and further below that was the ocean-a vast expanse of blue that seemed unending. She could see the Celsius-a speck of red among the blue and green of the island.

Rikku crouched down and hugged her knees, her eyes not leaving the view. "This is my favorite place in Spira. We came to Besaid when we were figuring out how to beat Sin." She let out a buff of air. "We had killed Yunalesca but we were still clueless. We came here to ask the Fayth for help."

Gippal plopped down the grass beside her and rested his arms on his knees. "And you came here."

Rikku nodded. "I just wanted some time to think in peace, without glares from the temple or villagers."

"This is the complete opposite of Bikanel," Gippal said with a hint of awe.

"I'm glad Yuna got to grow up here," Rikku smiled, though it was short lived. "I...sometimes I can't believe Pops let her grow up by herself, but I'm glad it was at least here, with Lulu and Wakka and Kimahri."

Gippal didn't say anything except to nod his understanding. Rikku picked at the grass and closed her eyes at the cool breeze that cut through the bright sun.

"Rikku."

She opened her eyes and found Gippal's green one on her. He was solemn; she saw the regret and the longing, and the tentative hope that swam within him. Maybe it was the regret that shone through everything else that made her stop what he was about to say.

"I always wanted to show you this place," she said softly, and he closed his mouth. He sat up, and his eye never left her. He listened. She cleared her throat. "The pilgrimage was _hard_ and I thought we wouldn't succeed. I thought I'd never see Home again. I thought I'd never see my family again. Or...you.

"I made a list, of all the places I wanted to show you. Moonflow was lovely, but also kind of sad with all the pyreflies. Zanarkand was like a night sky-still sad, though. But here?" She tore her gaze from Gippal and looked around. She brushed her hands over the grass. "It was perfect peace, with nothing horrifying attached to it."

Gippal followed her gaze, a smile playing at his lips, which caused a pleased flush to flood her; he could feel it, the peace.

Rikku took a deep breath and continued. "I came here and for a second I hated you. I wanted to show this to you. I _missed_ you, but...you had already decided I was wasn't worth waiting for. Why?"

That was the question that had plagued her for the past three years. One minute he was warm and open-inseparable from her-and the next he was cold and nonchalant about the end of their relationship. He called it a fling when it had obviously been otherwise.

There was something more to it, something that she needed to know if he was going to successfully sweep her off her feet.

"Rikku," Gippal started again, and she flicked her eyes at him. He opened and closed his mouth, words obviously failing him, and she tried not to let the disappointment over take her but then he blurted, "I was an idiot."

"No shit," she snorted.

"Seriously," Gippal continued. "I thought it'd be better that way-like I've said before, we were both leaving. I didn't _want_ you to miss me because what if something happened to me? Or if something happened to you? Then we'd be worse off than where we started."

He took a breath. "And yeah. I was _sixteen_ , Rikku. I was restless and wanted to see the world and save it. I should have not been such an asshole. I should have been careful with you and actually thought of the consequences. I'm sorry."

They had both been so young. Gippal was right-for all his good looks and confidence, he had been a young sixteen year old, and she had been no better. They both made mistakes left and right. They both had their moments of being the idiot.

If they had been older, would things be different? One thing was different for sure: nothing was trying to wipe out everyone on the planet. They lived in peace. They had all the time in the world to figure this out and heal old wounds.

And, frankly...she had had too many near death experiences to take this chance for granted. Something always brought her back to him, somehow. From the moment in the desert when she looked over that greasy machina engine and saw him smile at her-not backing down because she was _Cid's daughter_ -she knew he was someone worth being with.

"And now?" She didn't let go of her anger from his explanation, but it was still a question spoken soft, carefully.

Gippal was silent for a moment as he watched her and she let him. Everything aside, it was still thrilling see his eye roam over her and then stop as they met her eyes. He held so much regret, guilt, hope and...love. It was tentative and careful, but it made Rikku hopeful herself.

Her heart skipped a beat when he swung his body around so that he was fully facing her and his legs were crossed. He placed his hands on the lush grass and leaned forward so that she could feel his breath.

"Remember that party," he began, and she shivered as the words caressed her cheeks and lips. "When you asked how we could still pick up like nothing happened? And I facetiously said it was because we belonged together?"

Rikku nodded and somehow became aware of her own breath as it picked up under his unrelenting stare. When had he gotten so close? A moment ago they had a few feet between them and now...he was mere inches from her, leaning closer by the second, but she was not about to push him away.

"I made a stupid joke about it, but it's completely true," Gippal continued. "We do belong together, like the sand and sun. We can do that because we're not through, we never finished what we started and I hope we never do because that would really mean the end of us."

"I don't want the end of us," Rikku found herself whispering.

The corners of Gippal's mouth turned up and he looked pleased. "Good. And if you're interested, we can finally start over."

"I'm interested," Rikku said. "I've never _not_ been."

"Good." He leaned even closer, so that his lips were a whisper away. Everything in her body and mind screamed at her to take what he offered and it was agony when she went the opposite direction, pulling away so she could see his entire face.

He looked a little worried-and frustrated-but he didn't make a move as she threw him the most intense glare she could muster.

"If you screw this up, Mr. Sand, I will unleash the wrath of every one of Yuna's guardians on you," she said in her best threatening voice. "Trust me, you don't want to get on Lulu's bad side."

Any other man would probably get up and run in the opposite direction, letting her threat terrify them into abandoning their quest for her. But Gippal was not any other man and when he smirked, she returned it.

"Why am I the sand?" He sounded vaguely offended.

"Because you're rough and get everywhere and piss everyone off," she replied. "But you're also a big softie and can be pretty warm sometimes."

Gippal didn't look impressed by her assessment. "And you're the sun?"

"Because I'm bright and beautiful," she batted her eyelashes at him.

"And subtle," he said dryly and she laughed. He paused, then, "hey Rikku?" She narrowed her eyes at the deep, sultry tone his voice took but let him continue. "I saw that look you gave me earlier. Wanna do a more detailed inspection?"

It was the fact that he looked smug and sincere that had her choke on a laugh while flinging a hand out to smack him. He caught her hand before it could hurt him but he didn't let go. Her breath caught in her throat when he threaded her fingers through hers and leaned toward her.

She felt light and heavy as he flooded her senses again, her blood racing and her heart pounding. The valley was long forgotten, and had been when they started this conversation. The past three years were forgotten.

As far as she was concerned, there was only Gippal coming closer and closer to her until all she could see were his lips. He brushed them against hers, feather light, and she sighed at how soft and warm they were.

"Rikku," he began, his breath hot.

"Later," she breathed, and crushed her lips against his in a kiss that was as consuming as it was needed. His lips were just as she remembered and she pressed herself against him, savoring everything about him.

* * *

Darkness cloaked the valley as the sun finished its descent and below them, the village was illuminated by blazing torches. They winked at them like a cluster of stars in the night. They lay in the grass; Rikku snuggled up against Gippal while his arm held her in place, his hand playing with her hair. Rikku traced a finger over his chest, utterly content in where she was.

"So," Gippal began, breaking their silence, "that was Tidus. Your best friend?" Rikku murmured her confirmation. "What were you doing on his back?"

Rikku giggled. "I don't even remember. I think I was making a point about something." She shifted, so her arms rested on his chest and she rested her chin on them. She squinted at him. "Why, jealous?"

Gippal snorted and held her closer. "Not a chance."

"Good," and she leaned over to peck his cheek. "Cause there's nothing to worry about. I remember what Yuna and Tidus were like on the pilgrimage. They only see each other...do you know how awkward that was?"

"Probably like how I feel watching Nooj and Leblanc," he said, though he sounded vaguely amused at her plight.

" _Super_ ," Rikku continued after she poked him. "At least Wakka and Lulu _tried_ to be discreet. I was left with Auron and Kimhari for company, ugh."

Gippal snorted as he no doubt imagined her antics with the other guardians. A minute later, he unwrapped his arms around her and sat up. She watched him in confusion as he stood and brushed off the bits of grass stuck to his clothing. She bit her lip in a silent pout; she didn't want to leave yet.

Gippal laughed kissed the pout right off her lips and then straightened, offering a hand. "I'd say payback's a bitch, right?" He jerked his head toward the village.

Rikku's heart sang as she took his hand, and she smiled at his wicked idea. He wasn't leaving; he was her's. She smiled up at him, the past forgiven. "Right."


	9. Sleepless

Hello~

This is the sister chapter to chapter six. Gippal had his introspection moment so now it's Rikku's turn. It takes place in FFX, sometime after Zanarkand when you're able to go around to all the other temples to talk to the Fayth (Rikku mentions it in chapter 8...this is also that chapter's cousin).

Thanks for reading thus far and I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!

* * *

9\. In a moment of frustration, Rikku escapes Besaid village, seeking quiet time to think and cool off.

* * *

Rikku spent her time traveling around Spira thinking she and the other Al-Bhed had been cheated. Besides the fact that they _were_ -being driven to hiding in the desert and all-it was still annoying to see actual evidence of it.

It was infuriating sometimes to see how good Spirans had it, and the beautiful seaside paradise that was Besaid Island sure didn't help. It was utterly perfect-from its ocean views, perfect island breeze, and overly polite residents.

Of course, Rikku, being the perceptive person that she was, did notice one flaw: the polite residents were basically polite to everyone _but_ her and Tidus. The latter didn't seem to care much, but it had been a hard few months for Rikku and she couldn't quite find it in her heart to let it slide.

The stares, the glares, and the slurs whispered by some of the island's older residents was enough to make her patience snap.

 _Fine-_ -they could hate her all they wanted- _she_ was still going to save them from Sin.

As soon as Yuna looked settled in, Rikku stomped out of the village, ignoring Auron's stink eye for doing so-she stuck her tongue out at him and kept walking. Later she could throw his words back at him-guard your emotions, then guard your summoner. She knew, deep down, she was acting a smidge childish. She needed the time, just a little, to collect herself again.

She found a path, one that lead up and away from the village. It was gorgeous, with lush green plants still wet from a recent rainstorm. She didn't know how long she walked up the path, only that the sounds from the village and even the ever present waves crashing on the beach faded. All that was left were her own fumbling steps and the bird's chatter.

Somehow it made her feel utterly alone, like she was at the edge of the world; she kept walking, chasing that feeling. Sometimes it felt good to feel insignificant.

It was why she liked the desert-go far enough from Home and the desert felt unending, especially when the stars were out, which was always because it never rained on Bikanel.

So, when she pushed back a branch to reveal a valley tucked in between the mountains, she felt wholly insignificant, especially when she caught a look at the view... Rikku plopped herself right onto the grass and simply stared.

* * *

Rikku stayed there for hours and when the sun set, she laid on her back and stared at the stars. She had never seen so many-they sparkled in clusters like a vast frost over the sky. It was incredible.

It was probably later than she should have been out but she didn't care. She also didn't care when she heard a rustle in the path toward the village, or when Tidus stumbled out with a curse. He recovered quickly and casually made his way over as if it never happened.

"Whatcha doing out here so late," he asked as he joined her on the night cooled grass.

"Thinking. You?"

"Couldn't sleep."

Rikku nodded sympathetically. The group seemed to take turns having trouble sleeping. Last week it had been her and Lulu who let their stress get the better of them.

"It's beautiful out here," Tidus said, stretching his arms up over his head and then lying back, using his hands as a pillow.

"It's perfect," Rikku muttered.

Tidus seemed to pick up on something in her comment because he asked, "is that a problem?"

Rikku sighed. "No? It's just not really fair. It's the perfect temperature, there's plant life and water and no sandstorms. They get to live here and we're...stuck in the desert, hiding."

"I saw the way they look at you," Tidus said. "You think they don't deserve this place?"

"When I'm in a bad mood, yeah. They don't even know how good they have it, even with Sin," Rikku mumbled. She sighed and gestured to the sky. "Do you ever think there's a world without Sin somewhere?" Tidus coughed pointedly and Rikku shoved at his arm. "You know what I mean. I just like to think that there's a place out there where people aren't victims of their worlds, where everyone lives in peace, and no one hates people for the past or for being _them_."

Rikku sighed again and the two were quiet for a second.

"Wow, Rikku," he said, sounding vaguely impressed. "When did you get so poignant?"

Rikku shoved Tidus again, but she laughed. "I'm glad Yuna got to grow up here though. It would have been great if Pops stepped up and taken her in but that might have caused a war. But still, she was happy here, and I'm glad."

"Zanarkand didn't have stars," Tidus suddenly said. Rikku tried not to be annoyed that he cut off her Very Important Thought but he sounded like he had one of his own so she let it slide.

"Too much machina light," she asked instead. That was their problem at Home, and why they night sky here was far superior.

Tidus nodded. "We'd be lucky just to see a sprinkling. My first time really _seeing_ stars was Spira, on the Al-Bhed salvage ship after you guys turned off the search lights. I want to come back here with Yuna. I'm sure she's seen it hundreds of times but...I just want to see them with her. Be with her."

Rikku nodded and hoped they would get that. It wasn't like before, when statements like that used to tear her up inside because she didn't think it would happen, that Yuna would still be there with them...but now it _was_ possible. It had to be…

She wasn't at all prepared when Tidus asked, "what about you? Is there someone _you_ want to bring here?"

Rikku scowled as her heart stopped, and an image appeared uninvited in her mind. "No." She felt a hard poke at her side and batted his hand away.

"You sure," Tidus pressed. "That was a pretty hard _no_. I see the faraway look you get sometimes. You're thinking about _someone_."

Rikku crossed her arms and pouted, her good introspective mood _ruined_. Typical Tidus. "For a Blitz jock, you sure are perceptive."

Tidus flashed her a winning smile. "It's a gift."

"Yeah, I _know_ ," Rikku snorted. "You put in so much detail in your story in Zanarkand that it felt like two _months_ of my life, not one night."

Tidus didn't look sorry, but Rikku wasn't _really_ annoyed-his crazy knack for storytelling had kept them stalled and away from Yunalesca a bit longer at least.

"Answer the question, Rikku."

Her scowl returned. "He's a jerk-face."

Tidus laughed and somehow, Rikku felt better saying it out loud. "He broke up with me before leaving Home because I was only good for a laugh."

" _What_ ," Tidus stopped laughing. "But, you're _Rikku_."

The way he said her name made her smile. It was like her name alone could evoke images of awesomeness-which she totally did, if she were being honest with herself.

"Yeah, I know," Rikku modestly said.

"But you miss him." Tidus nudged her.

Rikku bit her lip. She had been hoping he wouldn't voice the very thing she had been repressing in the hours she had been lying there. It was something she had been fighting her entire time off Bikanel. It started with just an impulse-she'd turn to say something, and _he_ wouldn't be there. She'd remember the things he'd said to her and get angry for a few minutes but then she'd remember the fun they'd had. She'd remember how he'd make her laugh or strut around the desert-and then she'd see Tidus and Yuna, or even Lulu and Wakka and just...yearn.

At some point-maybe when they were in Macalania with the sparkling crystals, or the biting snow-she found herself whispering, "I wish you were here." She told herself she shouldn't wish for that-he had been callous and uncaring, and tossed her away but...there was more to it, she knew there was…

"You know, Rikku," Tidus said with an all-knowing tone. Rikku braced herself for some sage jock advice. "It's not the end of your story just because that chapter ended."

Rikku squinted at him. "You really love story metaphors, don't you?"

"Auron started it."

Rikku snorted. "But weirdly enough, it made sense." She poked Tidus, and he swatted her hand away. "Are you sure you're Tidus?"

"Hey," he sounded vaguely offended. "I'm smart-I _did_ figure out the celestial weapon thing."

"Yeah, and then you decided to dodge two hundred lightening bolts," Rikku countered, shivering at the memory.

Tidus laughed sheepishly and then sat up, stretching his long limbs. "Worth it. What was his name?"

Rikku took a breath, quietly gathering her courage before breathing, "Gippal."

Tidus nodded. "You'll see him again." Rikku had no response to that. She both hoped and didn't hope that would be the case.

Eventually, Tidus stood and looked down at her with a silent question; she shook her head. They said their good nights and Rikku turned her gaze back to the starry sky.

She thought of Gippal...of their goodbye and of...chapters.

She stayed out until sunrise.

Apparently it was her turn to not sleep.


	10. First Kiss

Hello~

First, so sorry this took so long to get to you. Second, we have reached the end of this fic. I've told all the stories of Rikku and Gippal that I wanted. It's been a fun ride and I hope you all enjoyed it too. I'm not sure what comes next for me* but thank you so so so much for every review, favorite, follow and view. I truly appreciate every one to the bottom of my heart. Thank you thank you thank you.

*Jk, that's a lie. I've written over 50k words on a DBZ/Sailor Moon Crossover fic. If you're into that. Apparently I am.

I wanted to end on a high note so I present to you, Rikku's first kiss (with Brother trying to ruin it because of course he's that obnoxious older brother). Enjooooy~.

* * *

10\. Growing up, Rikku has broken every rule established by Cid at Home. All except one: no boys. Right, as if. Or, Rikku gets her first kiss.

* * *

Rikku sighed and leaned back, closing her eyes as she took a micro break. She and her friends were disassembling some old drones one excavation team had found. She was making great progress on hers, though one piece was proving to be extra stubborn and would not budge.

The sun seemed especially hot as it beat down on her. A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek, tickling her, and she reached a hand up to wipe it away, grease smearing in its wake. She instantly smelled a metallic tang but she ignored it because with her hands elbow deep in the stuff, there wasn't much point. Besides, it smelled like a job well done.

When she opened her eyes, the bright desert sun blinded her for a second and she blinked and found herself suddenly looking at Gippal.

He was soaked in the sun's rays, golden and glistening with his own sweat, and also staring at her. He had looked at her before obviously-living in a compound meant daily run ins with each other-but something about this felt different, like a Look. She found herself staring back.

Maybe it was his piercing green eye. Maybe it was the way his mouth had popped open just ever so slightly so as to be inviting. Maybe it was the way he didn't look away in startled panic, thinking Brother would swoop down. Maybe it was all of that.

Whatever it was, it sent a shiver through her body and settled in her core so that every bit of her tingled in the most intoxicating way. Her eyes lit up as she bit her lip and smiled back at him.

* * *

Cid was a fairly liberal man, allowing the residents of Home to mostly govern themselves, stepping in as leader only when there was a larger dispute that needed handling. Everything else was common sense: respect each other, don't kill each other…

Still, Cid did have a special set of rules for the children of Home. As Cid quickly learned, the expansive desert, filled with yet to-be-discovered machina was a playground for the already curious Al-Bhed children.

After a few incidents, some minor, some major, Cid was quick to establish a few rules: no explosions/fires; no desert exploring alone/at night; no stealing/fighting; and no underage drinking.

They were easy enough to follow if you were a simple tinkerer who simply wished to learn how a machina and its components functioned. They proved more restricting when you were, say, an overly ambitious child with a wild imagination and thought yourself to be the world's greatest inventor.

Rikku blew up her first machina before she even turned five years old, with one following every six months or so. Gippal wasn't much better, taking out an entire hover craft hanger at age ten.

Every rule was broken every few days, by either Rikku or her group of friends. How else was a girl supposed to stargaze in peace and quiet if she couldn't even leave Home at night? Or become a thief class fighter? And, they reasoned, it was ludicrous to wait until the age of eighteen for their first taste of alcohol in a world ravished by Sin. It was practically an eternity.

Sure, she had a few scrapes and close calls over the years, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, Rikku often said. She counted herself as one of the island's most skilled fighters and thieves by the time she left.

However, in all of Cid's good intentions and wisdom in making his rules, he failed to consider the possibility of a daughter. When Rikku was born, Cid's jaw clenched and his eye twitched as his own promiscuous teenage years flashed across his mind. Within minutes of her being born-before she even had a name-Cid created her own special rule: no boys.

But Rikku, as evidenced by her previous rule breaking, was skilled at ignoring said rules. After all, they were created by her father merely to take the fun out of life. As it was, she had just turned fifteen, and there was one broken rule that had always eluded her…

* * *

Gippal and Rikku had known each other since they were born. They grew up together-knew everything about each other. But as teenagers, they were completely different people.

His soft baby curves were replaced by raw muscle while hers grew long and slim. His face grew handsome angles that one couldn't help but try to memorize. Hers was sweet and mischievous and she mastered how to bite her lip enticingly early.

For years he was just Gippal, and she was just Rikku-casual friends who sometimes snuck out of the compound with other friends and shared a drink under the stars.

It was only after their shared smile over a pile of greasy machina that Gippal became _Gippal_. She knew he would be hers when Brother _did_ swoop out of nowhere, did his usual scare routine, and Gippal merely laughed.

She knew she was his when his swagger fell away while they talked and he revealed genuine charm and sincerity. His raw intelligence hooked her as thoroughly as his handsome stare.

They talked of their ambitions and Rikku realized, after he drilled her for shrugging when he asked for hers, what it meant to have some. She originally thought she'd work for her father in whatever way he needed her.

"Not good enough," Gippal said with a look that said 'as-if'. "You're too smart for that. You could do anything."

"Even become a Maester?" She meant it only to tease and rolled her eyes but Gippal shrugged and flashed her a smirk.

"Sure, once I save the world," was his easy reply.

She loved that he was shooting for the stars.

* * *

Growing up with Cid as a father was definitely more of a curse than a blessing.

Sure, being the offspring of the leader was a blessing in that she got away with more than anyone else, but there was also the tiny, infuriating fact that most people kept their distance.

And by most people, Rikku meant boys.

It wasn't a problem when she was younger but those were the days before hormones. Now they were here full force, and here to stay, and it was awfully inconvenient that her father decided he _did_ have parental instincts after all. The glares he sent the boys looking her direction were enough to melt Macalania.

To make matters worse, Brother decided to join in. She lost count of how many times he jumped out of nowhere and screamed at the boy she was talking to until said boy ran away.

Literally ran. Brother would accept nothing less.

Rikku would subsequently scream at _him_ and they would scream at each other until Keyakku wedged himself in between them and attempted to bring peace. It was a cycle.

Rikku tried to understand Brother's obsession with protecting her. He was the middle child, after all, and attention was hard to come by. If Cid made a rule just for Rikku, then he was obviously going to seek his father's approval by upholding that rule.

On top of it all, Rikku knew that she reminded her family of her mother. From what people said, they looked and acted the same. Rikku didn't have many memories of her aside from ones with Cid, but Brother did, and he was as devoted to her as their father. She knew, despite his flamboyant behavior, that he felt her loss deeply.

There was also the Lightning Incident, when Rikku had been minding her own business and a fiend appeared. The next thing she knew, she was in the infirmary and Brother was at her bedside in tears. Their mother was gone and he had almost killed his sister. She understood that he would want to protect her.

But, it was _Brother_. He meant well but his overzealousness often meant his execution of things tended to land on the poorer side.

* * *

"Rikku, what are you wearing?" Brother's voice was grating enough that she had to bite the inside of her cheek and count to ten so she wouldn't scream back.

"You can't wear that!" His voice followed her through their family's quarters and she restarted her count before she finally acknowledged him. Not by turning around, he didn't deserve that, but by throwing a dismissing look over her shoulder.

She'd done away with her regular body suit and had instead chosen a tight leather skirt with a slit that went halfway up her thigh. A matching top cropped just under her breasts and a few accessories completed the look. Perfect for a party at the oasis.

"I can, and I will," she sniffed. "There are no rules against clothing."

"Well, _I_ forbid it," Brother countered.

Rikku crossed her arms and glared at him. "You're not Pops. Only he can make the rules."

"I am Father in his place," Brother said, which caused her to snort and roll her eyes. "You will obey me!"

"Yeah, right, you blubbering sand worm." Rikku tried to go around him again.

Rikku wasn't stupid. She knew Brother would try to stop her which is why she came out of her room prepared.

What she _wasn't_ prepared for was Brother suddenly rushing at her with a battlecry.

Brother was strong, but she was small and agile. She jumped up and kicked him hard in the chest. He grunted, stumbling back, but came back after her.

She shot under Brother's raised arms, and used one hand to dig in the pouch hanging on the belt slung across her hips, and the other to flip down the goggles perched on her head. Once secure, she flung out her latest invention: a silent flashbomb.

Brother didn't stand a chance. Blinding light, brighter than the desert's noon sun, exploded in the room. He screamed, loud and piercing as he groped the empty space around him for

* * *

All of her friends had had their first kiss before they turned fourteen. Rikku was treated to hushed retellings during one of their many escapes into the desert after nightfall.

Rikku didn't know why every girl whispered their stories, it wasn't like they were deserving of the reverence. Maybe they wanted to preserve the magic of the moment. To Rikku, it sounded like a battle with a fiend-all teeth and tongues and wet. Not exactly a surrender to passion.

Rikku knew that passion was. Gross as it was, she remembered what her parents were like when she was younger. She knew the way their entire beings lit up when they saw each other, and the constant touching as if to assure themselves they were there. She knew of the deep kisses while they held each other close. She knew of her father's deep sorrow when her mother died.

Cid was many things-impulsive, loud and abrasive-but he was also a devoted husband.

That passion seemed to run in the family since her aunt had eloped with a Yevon priest. She also had a front row seat to Keyakku's courting of his wife during which he followed her around like a little puppy. Theirs wasn't a public passion but she once barged into Keyakku's room for something and found them _alone_. Their flushed faces and breathless shouts at her were forever seared into her mind.

Passion. That's what she wanted. Not the week long flings her friends seemed to enjoy. Whenever Rikku saw a boy talk to another girl a day or week after Brother scared him off, she begrudgingly and silently thanked him for saving her _that_ heart break.

* * *

It had been three weeks since they had started talking or flirting or whatever it was they were doing. In that three weeks, the slow burn and flutter she felt in her body hadn't faded. It had grown to the point that sometimes she thought she might burst if she didn't see him or touch him or make him laugh.

She enjoyed the game, but that afternoon, when the newly excavated and unstable machina that Gippal was repairing blew up, she realized that the game needed to move forward. Hence, her midnight flight through the desert to this party.

Somewhere in between the compound and here, Rikku's heart had kick started into a skipping and thudding mess of nerves. She wiped her moist hands on her skirt but it only smeared across the smooth material. She licked her lips and rolled her shoulders, shaking her hands out.

She could do this, she told herself. She made a job of appearing braver than she felt. This was all part of it.

But she sat frozen on her hover, staring at the figure next to the bonfire, until he turned to her. The light of the bonfire lit up his face so that she could clearly make out his eye patch. Her heart almost thudded to a stop, only to restart, skittish as ever. Was this was it was always like? No wonder Keyakku seemed addicted to his wife.

She jumped off the hover and walked as quickly to the bonfire as the loose sand would allow. The laughter and crackling _popping_ of the fire grew louder and Gippal separated himself from his group of friends to meet her halfway.

Somewhere behind her, she heard another sand hover approaching but paid it no heed as she suddenly felt Gippal's eye taking every detail of her. The part of her leg that flashed through her skirt's slit practically burned. Every part of her felt alive under his stare and her heart skipped and leapt in anticipation of something.

Something flashed in Gippal's eye, as if he read something in her expression. She saw him swallow and look over her again, this time knowingly and hungrily.

They stopped a foot from each other. The light around them, gold from the fire and white from the moon, cast strange shadows over the panes of Gippal's face; he regarded her with the smallest of smiles, his blond hair almost appearing copper.

"You're late, Cid's Girl," he said in a warm voice that only ever seemed capable of teasing.

"I have a name," she pouted back, though a smile was playing at her lips.

This opening interaction was par for the course. Tradition. Ever since Brother let it be known that she was forever Cid's daughter and therefore untouchable. Gippal liked to remind her, though he also liked playing with fire. So did she.

She took a step forward and placed a hand on his firm stomach. He didn't flinch or tense or back away under her touch which emboldened her further. She looked up at him through her lashes, her eyes landing on his lips.

Behind her, the hover craft had arrived, sending a wave of sand toward the party, causing several people to yell their indignation. Rikku vaguely heard someone shout her name but she was too focused on Gippal's lips and her own beating heart to pay attention.

"Rikku," Gippal whispered; she loved the sound of her name on his lips. Just like how she would probably love the feel of his lips on hers.

"What," she whispered back, leaning forward so that his breath mingled with hers.

"Brother is going to kill me," Gippal sighed as his hands came up, fingers brushing over her bare arms and making her whole body tingle. He grasped her shoulders and one hand snaked up into her hair, cupping the back of her neck.

"Not if I kill him first," she replied, proud that her voice didn't tremble with her anticipation. She took a breath and summoned her courage. She raised herself on her toes and closed the distance, pressing her lips against his.

There was a scream behind her and the next she heard was, "RIKKU, NO."

Rikku and Gippal both threw Brother a vulgar gesture.

Brother cried out again, sounding remarkably like a slain Mushusuu, and bellowing something about failing and giving up on her.

Rikku smiled against Gippal's lips and pulled him closer. She felt drunk on the taste and feel of Gippal. The fluttering she first felt when he smiled at her flared, leaving her heart bursting, breathless, and feeling all too small for it all. And yet she wanted more more more.

This-this was what she sought, this was why her father grieved so hard, why Keyakku couldn't be out of his wife's sight. This was why her aunt eloped and Braska defeated Sin. This felt like the start of something great and where nothing would ever be the same.


End file.
